Reunion Week
by Extra Gone
Summary: Kanji Tatsumi is not having a good summer. Stuck with only Teddie, things only get worse when an old friend comes back. Persona 4. Post Persona 4, post P4 Arena, so spoilers beware. Kanji X Naoto.
1. Arrival, Departure, Arrival

**Reunion Week**

**Summary**: Kanji Tatsumi is not having a good summer. Stuck with only Teddie to hang out with, things only get worse when a detective friend returns….

**Reunite 1: Arrival, Departure, Arrival**

**July 2013**

At first glance, Kanji Tatsumi was one scary guy. He had piercings, blonde hair, and a solid, structured, threatening face, not to mention his gruff personality and violent temper. A third year high school student, it had been about over a year since the Midnight Channel incident, where he, six other young teenagers and their mascot bear friend had solved the mystery and saved the world, even defeating a god. And since then, peace has fallen over Inaba. Granted, the town always had been peaceful to some degree, but now there were no more corpses hung up on antennas, and people disappearing into TVs.

Peace hadn't exactly fallen over Kanji's life though. While he was still doing well with his work at the family textile shop, and was actually doing well at school, Kanji had never been good with a lot of things. Especially when it came to wooing girls, for a number of reasons, while most girls didn't really want to hang out with him thanks to his scary appearance and his odd habits, there was also the other problem: his confusion over his sexual orientation.

For a long time, Kanji had been torn over his orientation, and it was not helped _at all_ when _he_ came in. Smooth skin, piercing dark eyes, purple locks, and that cold, smooth, mysterious attitude, Kanji was taken in. He couldn't help but find himself be pulled in by the charisma of that mysterious, aloof boy. At first, this only helped further his doubts about his orientation, with what his need to be a manly man, yet his love of designing stuffed things. This caused him to be thrown into the TV World, where he had encountered his Shadow, a flamboyant piece of work. Luckily though, he was saved by the Investigation Team, and he joined to help their cause.

But _that_ _boy_ would not stop trailing them. He would go around trying to find clues, and he was rather aloof and even smug about it. And at worst, the boy actually took a major turn to try and solve the case. _He_ let himself be kidnapped.

But, in the TV World, it turned out _he_ was actually a _she_. Safe to say, he was very relieved. The hot guy was all along, a hot girl. Even that didn't really settle his orientation issues, but thanks to the hard work of Narukami, Kanji began to feel more secure in himself, as a man and as a person.

And even though he did like _her_, thought _she_ was very cute, wanted to comfort _her_ and make her feel safe, it seemed all it was going to be was an unrequited crush. And that was how it ended up. He didn't blame anyone, and really, it was worth the good times, then to risk heartbreak.

Now a third year, everyone had moved on with their lives. Yu Narukami was back in the city, sempai Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi were applying for colleges, Teddie still worked for Junes as their mascot, Rise Kujikawa had gone back to her career, and had made waves by taking control of her own music (a rarity, especially in the Japanese idol scene), while _she_ had moved on from Inaba.

Kanji had tried to call, he had sent messages, emails, and texts, but she rarely replied. She was too busy with cases and schoolwork, and while he understood, there was always that gut feeling inside of Kanji that things might have been different. He had moved on as best as he could, but at the same time, his mind was stuck on _her_. Back around early last year, when _she_ had told them all _she_ was leaving, he remembered his chest tightening, and his heart miss a beat. But he didn't feel too devastated; as he remembered the good times he had with _her_ and the Investigation Team. Yet, it still hurt.

But, you don't appreciate things until you lose them. That was definitely one moral he learnt.

Little did Kanji know, that he would get a reunion with a very special person...

**Day 0: July 14th, 2013**

**Day 0, 6:00AM**

Kanji had thrown himself out of bed after his alarm sounded off with thrash guitars. It immediately entered a powerful riff, in a song called _Keep Yourself Alive III_. Kanji, despite his soft side, both figuratively and literary, still loved rock though. That was one thing 'manly' about him. But the sudden scream of sound took him by surprise, his legs got tangled up on the sheets and he fell onto the floor with a thick _thud_.

"Argh!" yelped Kanji. He kicked his legs free from the duvet, rubbed a hand past his blonde hair, and scowled at the musical alarm clock, before shutting it down. "S'maybe rock ain't the best thing to wake up 'ta," muttered the young man, mostly to himself. "Maybe I should set it to something quieter..."

That was when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed his mobile phone lying on the floor, its screen glowing with an indication. Kanji's hand grasped at it, and he moved it up to eyeview, when, to his surprise, he saw a mailbox image, the signal that indicated he got a new text message. "Huh?"

He clicked to it, and read it carefully. He gulped. He must be dreaming.

"I AM COMING BACK TOMORROW. ARRIVING AT 10.

-SHIROGANE"

Shirogane. _Shirogane_. That one word spoke more than dozens of mispelt letters ever could. Kanji shook his head, and his entire face began to twist in shock, his brows rose up and his mouth dropped.

"No." Kanji said in denial. Apparently she had gone far away from Inaba, to help her grandfather with work. He read it again. The same message over and over again. His eyes darted past the text, over and over again, as his eyes widened further and further. His brows narrowed, moreso in shock if anything, and his cheeks seemed to glow red.

"No." Kanji closed his eyes, perhaps he was in a dream, and he would wake up? He then opened his eyes. There it was again. He even read it again and again to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"I AM COMING BACK TOMORROW."

It was written in the clearest font, with _her _last name, clear as crystal, printed on LCD, on the simplest form. Kanji's entire body was shaking, mostly in disbelief and the pure shock of the sudden announcement.

Kanji's eyes almost widened to spheres. That no-nonsense texting, the anarchic style of writing, it was _her_ alright. _She_ was coming back to Inaba.

Naoto Shirogane was returning to Inaba. And he had only a day to prepare.

Had the entire gang been able to catch up with her, Kanji wouldn't have stressed out, at least as much as he was doing now. But, granted she was finally coming back, it was only really him, Teddie, Nanako and to an extent, Dojima. Yukiko was hard at work in the inn and had almost no time for breaks, while Chie was studying to become a police officer. Yosuke had just finished applying for colleges, but then had went out of Inaba for a family vacation.

"Oh man. This is bad," Kanji thought out aloud, his face red. "Really bad."

When he had breakfast with his mother later that morning, Kanji's mother noticed her son had a red face and an even more focused expression than he usually did. "Kanji? What's the matter, dear? Troubles?"

He only turned his head away, "Nuthin's wrong."

She wasn't fooled that easily. Ms. Tatsumi knew her son was someone who tried to project the tough guy image, but was really a sweet soul underneath, "Come on. Are you upset over anything? It is your summer vacation, after all. You shouldn't have to worry about things during this time."

Kanji looked back slightly to his mother, but gently shook his head, "Nah. I'm not bothered."

Ms. Tatsumi chuckled to herself, maybe this was something Kanji was able to solve by himself, "I see. Just tell me if you need to get something off your back, okay?"

Kanji couldn't help but flick a small smile over to his mother. She always cared for him so much, it wasn't funny. "Sure. Thanks, Mom."

She only nodded back to her son, sharing his small smile. The two ate breakfast quietly afterwards, and soon after, Kanji had to go to Junes.

He had to hold back a scowl, he had to tell that goofy bear about the news.

**Day 0, 10:10AM**

"Every day is great in your Junes~!"

The happy sing-song anthem of the franchise department store echoed in Kanji's ear as he entered into the food court. Junes, along with Inaba as a whole, hadn't changed a bit since the murder mystery two years ago. Of course, Yosuke still worked there, but since he was out of Inaba for a family vacation, the only person he still knew who worked in Junes was, well….

The adorable mascot of Junes arrived to the food court with full energy. His familiar round costume, draped in red, blue, yellow, with a cream colored face, came into view, and he waved enthusiastically at the delinquent as he plodded his way towards him. Kanji couldn't help but crack a small smile at the lovable bear, "Hey Teddie."

"Kanji! How bear-y nice to see you again!" Teddie tried to get his small arms around Kanji for a hug, but Kanji put his hands in front of his oval face, so Teddie was stuck plodding in place, arms held out. Finally, he quit, looking rather upset, "Ah, you're mean~" but his expression went back to its usual happy gaze, "but bear-nough about that. You don't usually come to Junes often bear-a-days, what brings you here on this sunny day?"

Kanji immediately froze up, he really didn't have much ways of explaining it to Teddie, without totally embarrassing himself. The young man only let his knees sink down, and he pressed his bottom onto a seat next to a table, "S'long story."

Teddie quickly helped himself to a seat, and tried to fit himself in between a chair and the table, with some form of success, "Oh do tell! And you're bear-lushing!"

He touched his cheeks, damn, they were hot! Kanji narrowed his brow at Teddie, "'ey, don't do that man! It's not cool!" but after that episode, Kanji quickly calmed down, and folded his arms on the table. He looked away from the cartoony mascot bear, who watched him curiously and pursed his lips a little, before he finally came out with the answer.

"_She's_ coming back. She'll be arriving tomorrow morning. At 10 o' clock."

When he heard that news, even the fun loving bear had to freeze up. He knew exactly who Kanji was talking about, and in fact, his heart felt much lighter, he was very happy to hear that! "So… wait a bear-cond. Are you talking about… _Naoto-chan?_"

"Damn right," replied Kanji. He sank his head towards his arms, and his expression got a lot lighter from his stern glare. Heck, he even seemed to smile, which made him look a lot more relaxed about this whole situation, or so he hoped, "but it can't 'ave come at a better time, ya know? We've got ta 'hole summer off, an' hell, it's nice to see 'nother ol' friend again."

Teddie nodded in agreement. But he also giggled at what he was seeing in front of him, "Hehe, Kanji-kun!"

Kanji glared at the bear, irritated, "What?"

"Your face is bear-tally red! Like a tomato!" laughed Teddie. Kanji pressed his face onto his arms, and it was, again, hot! People stared out at the scene in front, Kanji's face was totally red! So red, that it could have served as a traffic light!

Realizing this, Kanji tried to hide his bright face by burrowing it in his arms, but to no avail, "Shut up ya stupid bear!" he growled, "Ya better not be like this when Naoto comes back!"

Teddie giggled once again at Kanji's reaction, his entire face lightened up with his energy, "Hehehe, you really are a tomato! Hehehehe!" but he got up from his chair, and spun around on one foot. "But trust me Kanji-kun, have no fear, because..." he then put his hand up in the peace sign, and winked. "I'll be as sweet as honey!"

"Like I'd believe that…" muttered Kanji. Something told him that this wasn't going to be easy….

**Day 1: July 15th, 2013**

**Day 1, 9:45AM**

The next morning, Kanji and Teddie were sat on a bench at the train station, relaxing in the summer haze. Kanji was wearing a tanktop with his Jolly Roger printed on it, and some black jeans with a small chain attached to the side. Teddie was in his human form, wearing his flashy 'playboy' outfit, his typical white shirt and black pants. Really, should Naoto see them now, she would notice that they hadn't aged much in a year, since the last time they met.

Teddie rotated and gyrated on his seat, pursing his lips and lowering his eyelids with boredom written all over him, "Kanji-kun~ I'm so bo-ear-ed~ when's Nao-chan gonna get here~"

"She's comin' soon, so shut up!" Kanji said through mostly gritted teeth. It was bad enough that he hadn't been prepared to see his crush in well over a year, but the only person able to hang out with them was Teddie. Granted, he was glad that it was Teddie, if it were Yosuke… well, having a peaceful week would be a pipedream.

The cute bishonen boy only glanced over at Kanji, "You're bear-y excited for this, but you're taking it out on innocent ol' me~"

Kanji reeled back in his seat, already blushing, "I'm not!"

Teddie was about to joke further with Kanji, when he heard a whistle. Teddie pulled his head up and pricked up an ear, he listened out with surprise on his face. He then put his hand over his forehead, as if he were scouting out something, and saw a train coming in, much to his delight, "Oh, bear it comes! It's her train! Nao-chan's train is arriving!" beamed Teddie.

The blonde young man pulled himself off his chair when he heard that, and put his hands in his pockets. His throat began to feel very dry and sticky, even if he were to think up the best welcome back line ever, his throat would not be able to pronounce it. While he had tried to restrain himself, he was still very nervous around her, and given that they hadn't seen each other in over a year, well… things do happen.

The carriages eventually pulled to a stop. Once they were completely halted, Kanji and Teddie gazed, wide-eyed, as the doors opened up. People flooded out, but there was one more person to come out. Kanji gulped down, trying his best not to blush red, but failing either way. Teddie just covered his mouth with his hands, his bright blue eyes just staring in awe.

Both Kanji and Teddie tried to look into the train, as their old friend arrived. The familiar small, slim shape began to emerge. Teddie gasped childishly, while Kanji's jaw slowly dropped in fascination. Feet clad in brown loafers stepped forward, legs clad in plaid pants followed above, with a male swagger to them. A blue coat with cuffs, with a white undershirt clothed the figure's upper body. The figure held a suitcase in the left hand, with the right hand tucked into the coat's pocket.

The androgynous figure eventually pulled her face up, her short purple locks hid by her signature hat. Her pretty features were revealed to the two boys. It really was Naoto.

The first to react was Teddie, "Hey Nao-chan~! I'm so glad to see you again! It's been so lonely without you! Come let me flirt with you~" Teddie practically jumped for joy, the blonde-haired bishonen's hair almost bounced in rhythm. He jumped to glomp Naoto in a tight hug, but Kanji caught his shirt, holding him in the air. Teddie turned over and pouted at Kanji, "Aw, spoilsport!" but, seeing Kanji's expression, guffawed, but was unable to hold his laughter and burst into a fit.

The tough delinquent and stuffed animal designer's cheeks stained a further crimson, and he nodded faintly. He clenched his teeth slightly, and his eyes seemed to grow wider. His nose puffed out, his lips tried to form a smile, only to puff his cheeks and form a half-smile. It only resulted in Kanji looking really stupid. Really, he looked like a puffer fish.

"N-nice to see you again."

Naoto's slender fingers tipped her cap to Kanji and Teddie, smiling slightly. Luckily, she hadn't bothered taking notice of Kanji's ridiculous facial expression. "It's good to see you too. You two are just as I remember."

And as if to twist the dagger further, those words only made Kanji's face burn beetroot red. "R-remember~?" he whispered, mostly to himself.

Kanji's greatest challenge in months had just only started. _**Reunion Week**_ had begun.

**Hope you enjoy this one. Critique, feedback and such are always welcome. There's a reason I put in Teddie. ;D For those wondering why I use Yu Narukami over Souji Seta, I was introduced to the series through the anime and announcement of the fighting game, so I know him as Narukami.**

**In case you're wondering, I may or may not be going for the straight route for Kanji. I'm a tricky troll~ :P**


	2. Hot Ramen

**Reunion 2: Day 1 – A: Hot Ramen**

**So it seems some people got that vibe, huh. Well, you got me, lol**

**Also, I tend to revise, that's why the first chapter looks a bit different. Bad habit, I know.**

Naoto Shirogane, the Detective Prince, had returned to Inaba. For yet unknown reasons, she had texted Kanji Tatsumi to tell him, rather vaguely, that she was coming back. Now having arrived back, Kanji and Teddie must deal with an unexpected visit from an old friend!

And, well, the former wasn't taking it too well. Having harbored a long time crush for the small, boyish (never mind that for work, she _was_ a man) detective, Kanji had to deal with seeing his crush for the first time in over a year, and the first thing he did when she appeared was… flash her a stupid expression when he tried to smile. Like that of a red, swollen puffer fish. And seeing that Naoto did glance at him briefly, she probably chose to ignore his goofy expression out of goodwill or sympathy, since Teddie was laughing over it.

Kanji wondered sometimes if there was something out there, like some higher force or something, destined to make him look like an idiot.

'_Damnit Kanji! You blew it!'_ he screamed in his own head. Naoto had just returned to Inaba, a place where she had some of her most treasured memories, and he had to act like a complete idiot in front of her! That wasn't going to look too good on his image. Kanji let go of Teddie, quickly stretched his face off from his 'puffer fish cosplay' half-smile, and just put on a small, neutral gaze. He then looked at Naoto, surprisingly without a blush, and now that he was able to get a good look at her, he could definitely say that she didn't look a day above 16, like back in 2011. In fact, her short stature seemed to have not even grown an inch. She definitely didn't look 18, for sure.

Her features were still androgynous, and serious. No real development since then, she was still the hardboiled detective with a cute side to her, but just a little older, well, statistic-wise, and with new experiences. Kanji even wondered if she had any stories she was willing to share. If she wanted an ear to listen, he was there. But she was never one to be a storyteller.

He was caught by surprise when Naoto glanced at him, "Is something the matter, Kanji-kun?" she asked in a straightforward manner. Her dark eyes, usually so focused and intense, and could bore right into your soul and see the workings of your mind in them, were actually quite beautiful if you looked into them. Despite not using makeup and such, she still did have slightly feminine eyes.

Flustered, Kanji backed a step, and felt a lump in his throat form. He had no idea what he could say, nor could he read Naoto's mind (like he could anyways). Didn't help that she was such an enigma sometimes! "Nothin's the matter," he responded back to the pint-sized detective, as he took another step back, obviously out of his league with the conversation. 'Oh god, Teddie, do something!'

Naoto watched in slight confusion. Kanji was never _this_ flustered or so she remembered, but she never really tried to notice. It was hard enough for her, with her social skills… lacking, to put it that way, to make friends, and not have to endure the crushing loneliness she felt before she had gone to Inaba, where it was only her, her grandfather and Yakushiji, and to fill the void, helping her grandfather solve cases and acting as his trusty kid sidekick.

While she was empathic and could sympathize with people, she was professional about relationships, and tried to separate work and relationships as far as possible. To get into a further relationship with someone, to the point where it interferes with life as a detective, was unprofessional and could lead to weakness, so her crime fiction novels and stories she heard told her.

After all, who's to say you could get on the wrong side of someone, for example, a crime lord, and he could use your loved ones as a way to pressure you to drop your case against him?

Nevertheless, she was thinking about work again, and she was meant to relax and let her body and soul heal up. She was a natural workaholic after all, but her growth throughout the last two years told her that sometimes, she just needed to wind down.

Of course, this now lead to the awkward glances she shared with Kanji. She looked neutral, but she could see sweat drenching his face, and his face shaking. "Do you have a fever?"

Kanji almost screamed out. Now he _really_ had done it! Oh, if _something_ out there was looking out for him, then something better interfere! The atmosphere was more like a bubble between the two: it would break easily with a little bit of force, but no one seemed to be willing to pop it.

And as if his prayers were answered, Teddie, apparently unaware of the atmosphere between the two, walked towards Naoto, and flicked his thumb past his mouth, as sparkles almost seemed to form around him. His bright blue eyes shone, and his features lit up into an almost angelic smile. He was laying on the charm thick and heavy, even if the androgynous detective wasn't going to fall for it too easily, more like never, "Say there, Nao-chan~ we have so much to talk about~ I don't want to miss a single word~"

Oh, typical Teddie. Even with the body of a beautiful bishonen boy, he had the mind of a hormonal child. Not exactly taken by surprise, Naoto lowered her head, hiding her eyes with her cap, but her lips visibly turned to a small smile, slightly amused by Teddie's attitude. "Once again, two years haven't changed my mind. I'm afraid I cannot cooperate with you, Teddie-san."

Somewhat crestfallen, Teddie let his head drop in failure, "Bear-y sad…" he muttered in failure. He comically couldn't even gather the strength to lift his head up in his despair.

Naoto then tipped her cap, and straightened out her body, "I think we have done enough fooling around, though."

Hearing that, Teddie seemed to jump up and visibly gasp, "Right! I've got so much to show you around here, Nao-chan! This place is still great!"

Naoto looked up to the blue, cloud free sky, and her expression seemed to grow slightly lighter, her small shoulders sagging, "Yes, I'm sure it'll be… I look forward to this. What happened to the others? Rise-san I am aware of, but the rest?"

Kanji and Teddie suddenly made choking sounds, and they looked away from each other and Naoto, scratching their heads and looking really out of their element. "Well, Yuki-chan is still here, in the inn… she told us she's hard at work with reservations though. Chie-chan is also becoming a police officer, she didn't say whenever she'd have a day off schedule, though…."

"Yeah. Yu-sensei as you know is in university," Kanji continued, "and Yosuke's on family vacation."

Upon hearing that, Naoto's lips were a thin line. She was disappointed, but her mature way of looking into things and her experience told her that she shouldn't have been surprised. And at least there were Teddie and Kanji.

"I see. As long as there are a few of you around, then we're still together."

She smiled to herself. To think now she was being the optimist. And had she looked a little to her left, she would see Kanji's face so red, it's possible there was steam coming out of it.

"Then let's go!" Teddie turned his back to the two, and began to sing a song off Risette's latest album as he strode out with an exaggerative step.

After having calmed himself down and letting his face cool off, Kanji then saw that Naoto was still holding her suitcase, and he frowned. While Naoto was the type to say she was fine and refuse help unless she really needed it (or she trusted you: the thought was enough to make Kanji's cheeks go red again), maybe he'd ask her to see how she felt about his idea. In a rare showing of courtesy, Kanji actually asked, "Hey, Naoto, want me ta carry your case?"

Naoto turned her head over to Kanji, and then over to her suitcase. "It's not as if I'm struggling to hold this," she demonstrated this by slightly pulling the case up, then letting it down, but a faint smile crossed her lips, indeed heartened by Kanji's thoughtfulness, "but if you wish."

She passed him the suitcase, and Kanji received it. It seemed Naoto didn't travel light, nor did she travel heavy. It just might be him, but it seemed she travelled with just the right amount of weight.

He glanced at the brown case, and thought of what might be in there. Considering Naoto's crossdressing habits, did she wear panties, or even… male cotton briefs? Feeling himself glowing red like a tomato and a building pressure in his nose at these perverted thoughts, Kanji whipped his eyes away from the case, and back to Naoto, who was glancing at a watch. It didn't look like the one she wore in 2011, it seemed to be a little more… gadget-y. He had to say something quick to get them out of here!

As if it were a sign, his stomach then grumbled. He cocked a grin, what great timing!

"Hey, Naoto-sempai, ya hungry? Was thinking we could go grab somethin' to eat."

Now that he mentioned it, Naoto could feel her stomach groan too. She had only a light breakfast early this morning before going on the train, so she had plenty of room for an early lunch. She nodded.

"I'd like that."

**Day 1, 10:30AM**

Soon after departing from the train station, the three had found a small ramen outlet in town, and quickly sat down. After ordering their ramen, the three sat down on stools, with Kanji on the left side, Naoto in the center, and Teddie on the right. But even then, it seemed none of them were up for speaking, with Teddie failing to spark up conservation about TV programs… luckily enough, their food soon arrived. _That_ was what started the conversation.

"So what brings you back to Inaba, Nao-chan~?" Teddie was the first to break the ice, as the three readied to eat their ramen.

Naoto gave a cool glance over to Teddie, as she picked up some noodles with her chopsticks, "It is quite simple, really. Last week, my grandfather told me that I needed to take a break from detective work and studying. I protested, but he was insistent. He felt I should enjoy a week off while I'm still young. So I decided that I would come here. It is quiet, and I have friends here. It is a shame about the others being so busy."

Kanji smiled at that, before slurping down some noodles, "Hafta agree with him there. Even ace detectives need R&R."

And yet, he put his right arm up in hopes that the crimson starting to color his cheeks couldn't be seen. Why did she have to say 'friends' like that? Considering it was _her_ saying that, it made him feel giddy in the stomach, like he had butterflies in them. God forbid if Naoto ever noticed.

However, the simple explanation was not enough for Teddie, who sadly stuck his lower lip out, "Aw man, I thought it'd be something bear-y exciting like a crime! And we could bear your partners! It'd be like Sherlock Holmes and Watson all over again!"

It seemed that touched something of a nerve in Naoto, who almost seemed to grimace. She had been too aware of her experiences as a detective in Inaba, the knowledge that she'd be thrown away once the case was solved, and often being seen as a kid who tried too hard. She pushed those thoughts out of her head though, "I'm afraid detective work is not what the modern movies make it look like. I can tell you now I have thrown no punches or have foreseen what physical attacks my enemies would use next."

"Sounds totally badass on paper though," mentioned Kanji. Really, looking at Naoto even through the baggy, dense clothing, he could tell she wasn't particularly strong in terms of physical strength. She had a small build, and no muscle definition. Granted, she could still probably punch out Yosuke. Now that guy looked weak, and deserved all the beatdowns he could get for being such a cocksure asshole.

Teddie's body was rigid. "My dream, crushed like a bear," was all he could speak, on the verge of being shattered.

Two years had yet to help Naoto's ability to read humor cues or even the atmosphere, it seemed. But Teddie's smile quickly returned, he knew just how to help the mood! "I know! Why don't we go for a walk?"

"I hope you won't take me to Junes and try to sell me items I wouldn't need." Naoto quipped. Both Kanji and Teddie winced at her reply, even if Kanji tried to hold back a laugh. Even if she had calmed down a lot, she still could be completely blind to the mystery that is people's feelings.

Teddie quickly recovered though, as he put the charm on again, "Haha, nonsense Nao-chan. I've got so much more than Junes~ I've got a lovely place for just the two of us~"

"- Wait, _two_?" cut in a reddening Kanji.

"And we can enjoy the sights and the scenery~"

Naoto nodded, she knew just what place the bear was referring to. While it was a pretty place now, not just pretty, beautiful, like an Eden, the last time she ended up there, she had to fight her friends in some kind of tournament. "Going back to the TV World isn't on my agenda."

What seemed like the sound of a mirror breaking could be heard in Teddie's mind. Not even two years of practice could help him 'score' like in the movies! And he had spent nights in the TV World, watching all the movies from a place they call, 'Hollywood', where the plots were all the same and the characters were barely any different, except for a few rare titles!

Maybe he should have watched the Japanese movies instead, instead of relying on mainstream scoring tips. Or he should have picked someone else other than trying his luck with the masculine Naoto again.

The near-comatose Teddie was slapped on the shoulder by Kanji, causing the effeminate boy to snap out of his stupor with a yelp.

"Man, that was a bear-y bad bear-perience."

Kanji only replied with a heated glare.

Soon, they finished. Their bowls were taken back, and now it was time to pay. Kanji looked over his shoulder to Teddie, who was buttering his lips with a handkerchief. "So, er, who's paying?" Kanji quizzed. He put his hand to his wallet, fully ready to pay (he saved up the money he earned from working in Tatsumi Textiles for occasions like this), but Teddie was crazy about free meals, so he better not make it too obvious.

Teddie grinned and patted his pockets, "I've got nothin' on me! Just some lint!" he even pulled his pockets inside out, revealing the lack of money. There was quite a lot of lint though. Teddie seemed proud of that, too.

Kanji's brows knitted and he grumbled, rather annoyed, no, _really_ annoyed by the bear's mooching habits, "Damnit Teddie, you can't keep doin' this, with Naoto here! Don'cha have a job?"

The goofy boy nodded his head, with his usual cute smile, "Well my money is for the honies!" he said sincerely. Indeed, Teddie was still obsessed with 'scoring', and Kanji clenched his teeth together in anger.

Naoto had watched the scene unfold, Teddie was being his typical child-like, yet adorable self, and it seemed once again Kanji had been irritated by the young blonde boy. But she had been prepared, like she always tried to be, and her own hand began to duck towards her wallet, "It's fine. I'll pay if need be."

She began to retrieve a Yen note, but Kanji put his hands up, rather surprised at how diligent she was being.

"W-wha- no! You're the guest, Naoto! I'll pay!" he exclaimed. He quickly fished out his wallet, flicked through the notes (Math was _not_ his strongest subject) and put down the money. One of the workers gave Kanji a small glare, as if he had taken one look at Kanji's pierced face, and assumed the teenager was not going to pay all because of his height, muscle and some metal stubs on his face.

As the exchange occurred, Naoto shimmied back on her seat, and watched. While she was the epitome of socially awkward, especially in large groups (lord knew how many times she felt left out, especially in childhood and later on, when working with the police), Kanji and Teddie managed to do alright, even if they had their own troubles and quirks about them too.

Once Kanji was done, Naoto stood up from her stool, and looked up at Kanji, given they were both standing now, she only managed to reach up to his neck. It was both Kanji's natural tall length and long legs, and Naoto's own shortness. She quickly spoke:

"It was a good lunch, Kanji-kun. I thank you for that. Perhaps, next time, you…."

Realizing what she was about to say, that it sounded like some stupid romance novel she would see littering the book shelves, the young detective tipped her hat down, and along with the light, managed to shade her face and her slightly red expression. She was almost about to say something that could give out the wrong impression, which didn't fit the no-nonsense, masculine reputation she had carved out for herself. Why was she so socially inept?

And just as well, Kanji almost choked in response, and his face began to glow red. He quickly twisted away, showing his back to her. His shoulders hunched up, and his lips quivered into a grimace, trying to hide the blush from Naoto. He may be a man who worked in textile, but he was still a man's man!

In their stupor, both Naoto and Kanji didn't realize they were both so very, very nervous.

Teddie, seeing all this, grinned cheekily; some feelings never change with the flow of time. Kanji had a long road ahead of him this week….

**Day 1 – A: END**

**Reviews and feedback are always welcome! Say what you want to say! So far, the days will probably be put into two-parters, depending on how much happens. I split this chapter up because I'm mainly doing 2000-3000 word chapters, to get myself back into the writing game.**


	3. Down The River

**Reunion 3: Day 1 – B: Down The River**

**Thank you, those who reviewed, followed and faved! I appreciate it greatly! You guys saw right through it, though. Yayyy~**

**Also, apologies for the late update. I've been struggling with how I want to take this story and illness. Also, computer problems, and watching Let's Plays videos and the anime to get a further grip onto the Persona 4 series.**

**Day 1, 12:00PM**

After their lunch (which Kanji had to pay in the end), the three had exited the ramen stand and began to walk around town, mostly to get Naoto accustomed to the town again and to enjoy the sun and good weather while it lasted. She claimed she didn't want to, that she had already memorized it, and really, nothing had changed. But a nice walk was always good, so Kanji felt, and off they were.

Passing the street, a few heads were turned seeing the slim shape of Naoto. Rumors had been going on about a Detective Prince return, and now that she was in the flesh again, there were even some murmurings going about, mostly with the housewives shopping.

"Why do you think he's back?"  
>"You mean she? Maybe it's a new case of hers?"<br>"That was only a one-time thing!"  
>"Inaba doesn't need her anyway! She's old news!"<p>

Kanji glared at some of the gossipers, and then softened up his gaze for when he turned to Naoto, "Dun worry 'bout them," he told her. The response was the tilt of a cap from Naoto, acknowledging his words.

"I don't care for simple gossip, Kanji-kun" responded the detective. "People are bound to spread corrupted words and lies about you, it is just a fact."

He nodded, having been on the brunt of that kind of slander before, "Mhm, but… it gets a little too much sometimes, right?" asked Kanji, who also thought he might try to start a conversation with Naoto… as hard as it was for her to help carry one.

"Not at all," said Naoto bluntly. "The Shirogane have been the brunt of much harsh criticism and rumors. What we are hearing is simply schoolyard gossip."

Kanji arched his eyebrows, surprised and even impressed by Naoto's cool attitude towards attention. Back when he was a troubled young man, afraid of his orientation, sexuality, social pressure and appearance, he would always get into fights with bikers or the police, gathering lots of attention to himself. Back then, he was too selfish to see that it held a negative impact to Tatsumi Textiles and its reputation. But then, he didn't care.

He had spent hours at times at the police station, often after threatening a police officer (he never came to blows with one: that would just end up with him thrown in a cell and shaming him for the rest of his life). Ryotaro Dojima, a guy whom he grew to respect for being one of the few guys there with some sense (not to mention he was Yu's uncle), was alright, but the rest were just smug old men who preferred not to do anything that would cause a ruckus, even if it were for the best.

He really could see why Naoto had been extremely unhappy with the state of the police.

Even then, Kanji hated when media tried to interview him or his mother, to make some new scare story about Japan's youth or to stir up trouble in Inaba. He had endured a lot of remarks aimed towards him and his mother, from, "Oh, that Tatsumi kid is a real troublemaker! His mother must be so ashamed~" to "The Tatsumi family messed up once the father died. Now the son's a delinquent!"

Suffice to say, he had exploded quite a few times hearing that gossip. And to think Naoto could take taunts and walk away with her head held up high was inspiring. She really was a strong person underneath the awkwardness, gender crisis and stern attitude.

The tall young man's face lightened up into a smile. A sincere smile at that, not the fake half-smile he had tried to do in his embarrassment. "Yeah, that's true."

But inside every strong person was a gooey center just ready to be seen… that seemed to annoy Naoto to no end though, driven by the cool detectives from her mystery novels. They never showed weakness, hell, they weren't _women_, full stop. Even though she had accepted her true self, there was always that odd moment of self-doubt. She knew to quench it though, as the last thing she would want were two years of discovery and learning squandered. Women could still be ace detectives, even if the order was against that.

An awkward silence, sans Teddie still singing off the Risette album, dawned upon the trio. Especially Kanji and Naoto. While Naoto walked, looking rather neutral, if focused, Kanji's eyes wandered away, a small, fidgeting frown printed on his face. He glanced back at Naoto, who was still looking straight ahead, and noticed from the downward angle he was looking at, how her lashes and lips were still naturally visible, even though she didn't wear makeup. Even if she was able to pull off being an androgynous boy for so long, not even that could prevent her natural feminine features from being visible time to time.

As much as Kanji liked Naoto for the way she was, a strong detective who didn't let things get in her way, he agreed with the general opinion that she would be one _hot_ babe with some makeup on.

Heat began to rise to his cheeks, so Kanji decided he'd try to start up a discussion, even if starting discussions was a skill he… lacked, to say the least. Mostly because he ran the risk of someone (usually Yosuke) saying something that just might trigger a… less than savory response. "Umm… what's up? With yer detective work and all?"

"I have finished all my current cases, and had assisted my grandfather with his latest case. I will be taking on new cases next week." Naoto then looked over to Kanji, rather seriously, "But I wouldn't like to focus on work so early though, Kanji-kun."

Being taken by surprise by her bluntness, Kanji gulped, and turned his head away to hide his reddening cheeks from embarrassment, not wanting to look stupid in front of his crush again. "Oh! … Sorry."

"None taken," she simply replied back. Kanji's nervous apology caused her to glance at him, and Kanji, noticing, nudged his head an inch more. This was so embarrassing!

Luckily enough, Teddie came to rescue the strange silence by turning around to Naoto, with his usual happy grin stuck on his face, his blue eyes sparkling.

"So bear are you crashing out at, Nao-chan?" Teddie asked. While he didn't know much about her family, apparently she had a grandfather who travelled around the world, solving cases as part of the family business. All he remembered was that Naoto came from a distinctive line of Japanese detectives, the Shirogane, whom had been in close contact with the Japanese law, and famed for their skills.

Naoto's issue was that her father, the fourth in the Shirogane line, had died leaving behind a daughter, who was Naoto. And the world of law was a world dominated by masculine figures. While she had accepted herself for who she truly is, Teddie had noted that she still seemed to continue her male masquerade, perhaps she felt more comfortable like this, or it was still a necessity. He didn't know, nor did he feel he had to bother her about it.

Naoto looked over to Teddie, and closed her eyes, "A small rural house my grandfather had rented for the week, on the outskirts of Inaba. He told me it is best if I stayed on my own for my trip. Grampa and Yakushiji-san had made sure I will be fine, though, so don't worry," she then flicked her eyes open, and nodded her head over to the two guys, "You still have my contact details, I assume?"

Kanji and Teddie (who had a cheap smart phone thanks to his Junes discount) switched on their phones, checked their contacts, and nodded over to her. "Yeah, we've got ya number," spoke Kanji.

She nodded back, satisfied that they did have her details. In fact, it actually heartened her to know that, even though she hadn't contacted them in over a year. Maybe she was just being too careful for her own good… these were her friends, after all, "Good. I will ring you if anything comes up," she responded. She then put a hand to her hip, and took a deep breath, "I believe most of my week will be spent with you two, so should certain events happen, I will be sure to ring you."

Both males nodded. They then slipped their smart phones back into their pockets, and then looked around. They were already halfway past the town, and it seemed if they went any further, they would probably reach the basin of the Samegawa. Teddie's sparkling blue eyes slowly rolled over to Naoto, flashing that usual big innocent smile of his.

"We're just about to go to the Samegawa!" he noted, "I think there are some special memories we all have over there, don't you agree~?"

While Kanji shrugged his shoulders, not really caring where they ended up, a wave of nostalgia, both good and bad, seemed to wash over Naoto. The Samegawa was where she had dealt with the case of the Phantom Thief, who had stolen her childhood possessions, and led her and Yu onto a calculated goose chase throughout Inaba. Eventually, the Phantom Thief turned out to be Yakushiji, the secretary to her grandfather, and it was all part of a test from Shirogane Sr., who wanted his granddaughter to rediscover the joy and passion she had for her work, before everything happened.

It succeeded beyond his wild expectations. But it was also where Naoto experienced the pain of an unrequited love.

But to keep her cool though, she gave a small nod, even if her eyes told she was somewhere else. "Yes," she said, far more robotically than she ever sounded.

Kanji raised his eyebrows, rather surprised by her answer. While she was always cold and carried a mature air around her, despite being looked down upon as a kid by adults, she was so far off somewhere with that answer. Kanji knew he was the furthest thing from a shrink, so he tried not to let Naoto's new coldness bother him… but had something happened to her in Inaba that he didn't know?

The thought of Naoto perhaps having a secret admirer or a secret relationship was enough to make his stomach flip, both out of envy for the guy, and of concern for Naoto.

**Day 1, 12:40PM**

After more walking, the trio had finally made it down to the Samegawa riverbank, towards the sheltered table that had some memories for Naoto. Some really pleasant memories, in fact, some that she would cherish for the rest of her life, all with one special guy with the shining and quite beautiful grey hair and those mystic cool, but kind grey eyes.

Naoto glanced at the table, before she quickly turned her head away. Her feet stopped, the soles of her shoes seemed to part the grass beneath them, leaving dirty shoeprints on the ground below. She could close her eyes, and she'd be two years younger, sitting with Yu, discussing what they have found out about the Phantom Thief that day. She could remember sitting there, her cheeks flushed as he helped deduct his riddles. As kind and thoughtful as he was, he was one of the smartest young men she had the pleasure of dealing with.

A wry smile crossed her lips; Yu would have made one hell of a detective.

Teddie had already made his way over to the seats, and patted his bottom before planting it down on the bench. He then span around, kicked his legs up in the air and gazed upon the river, smiling, "Man, what a nice river! It makes me think of the birds and the bears and the wonderful summers of Inaba~ where I can score with some honies!"

Kanji and Naoto also sat down by the bench, but when Kanji sat down, surprisingly, Naoto also sat down just left of him, and stared out at the river, her dark eyes mired in concentration. Kanji looked at her side profile, well, at first he tried not to look, but his eyes couldn't help but gaze upon her. Those lashed eyes, her cute nose, and her lips, all brought out by the locks of her dark hair. She had a hell of a side profile indeed.

And whenever he looked in the mirror, Kanji saw a… rough guy, to put it lightly. Masculine brow ridges, a prominent nose, thin lips usually crossed into a frown. While he wasn't a skinny pretty boy like Yu, Yosuke or especially Teddie, Kanji wondered sometimes, if anyone did find him attractive.

That said, there was an emerging heat in his cheeks once again. So he turned over to Teddie, who was on the opposite bench, kicking his legs and crowing about 'scoring'.

"… Whatever you say," Kanji scowled. Seriously, would Teddie ever stop talking about 'scoring'? Since peacetime, all he had done when he wasn't in the TV World was hang around with the rest of the group and work at Junes, a routine he called, 'his daily slavery'. Even if Teddie managed to 'score' one of the ladies who worked at Junes, he never got very far before they dumped him, usually because he often said something that annoyed them, or creeped them out.

Teddie then put a finger to his lips and arched an eyebrow, as if he were thinking of something, then his expression caught alight with a big wide grin. "That reminds me! Kanji-kun, when you gonna teach me how to finish a sewing model? It's been six bearsome months since you started teaching me, and I need to finish mine for my honey! She'll love it!"

Something got stuck in the startled Kanji's throat, and his eyes opened up until they were the size of dinner plates. Usually he'd be able to settle down Teddie, but with Naoto here, how was he able to deal with this? Would she think of him differently?

This only made things worse for Kanji when Naoto, interested, raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Sewing model? Do you teach now, Kanji-kun?" she said, her face not changing.

Kanji would have usually denied it, and tried to save face in front of his crush. Granted though, the one thing he had learnt, especially from Yu, was that you couldn't lie to yourself. Kanji puffed his chest and cocked a smirk, trying to look manly and impressive.

"Hell yeah I do! I teach people how to make the cutest things at Tatsumi Textiles! I teach anyone over the age of 4!" boasted Kanji.

Teddie raised his hands in the air, cheering for Kanji's spirit, "Yeah! And thanks to Kanji-kun, I'll be able to make something bear-y special! So cute, she will never be able to reject me!"

Really, two years had brought in some changes. Amused by what she was seeing, the former delinquent and the Shadow cheering and being enthusiastic for their textiles. In another time, maybe she would watch him work, or maybe attend one of his classes. Naoto chuckled to herself, loud enough for them to hear, and spoke up.

"That's cute,-"

At Naoto's words, Kanji's face went almost as red as a beetroot hearing that, "C-c-cute?" he stammered, making Teddie laugh out loud at his reaction.

Naoto adjusted her cap slightly, before talking again, "- yes, cute," she said to Kanji, "but may I ask you, Teddie… who is your 'honey'? Mind telling us?"

For possibly the first time, Teddie seemed to be taken aback, and he tried to duck his head down. However, his pale skin and position wasn't enough to hide the fact that his cheeks were visibly glowing. From what they could hear, he was mumbling incoherently, his hands clutched his knees, as his face grew more and more crimson. He was… blushing?

After a few seconds, a recovered Teddie pulled up, and flashed his usual cheerful grin, "None of your bear-siness!" he chirped like his old self. His face was back to its cream colored self, but there was a faint stain of pink on his cheeks. Teddie was smiling, but his eyes were still flustered. _That_ girl was rather precious, but he wasn't going to reveal it until he had scored with her!

Even reformed Shadows like Teddie could have a romance, or at least a crush. He had fallen for a certain girl, thought Naoto. He had done his usual sparkling flirting with no hesitation, so Naoto knew it wasn't herself. It was likely it was someone on the Investigation Team. Probably not Rise, as she and Yu were together for a while, only splitting when Yu left Inaba….

Thinking of Yu here was bound to bring back painful memories though. So Naoto tried to push it out of her mind, and let the call of nature calm her.

The water's steady flow made smooth background music for the trio's little moment of peace. Nobody said a word. It wouldn't have fitted the atmosphere. Kanji let himself lean on the table, and felt a yawn coming through… the sun was making him sleepy. The young man stretched his arms out, but as he pulled them back in, he felt his left wrap over Naoto's small, slender shoulders and neck. It was an accident, a genuine accident, but Kanji almost freaked. He gasped and pulled his arm away from the small girl.

The sudden sensation of a long arm around her caused Naoto to fall completely still, instead of fighting back like someone else might do, despite feeling rather uncomfortable with it. While this spot was serene and held memories, maybe even romantic, the small detective glanced over at Kanji, face completely neutral, yet with a serious glare.

Kanji looked surprised, and tried to clarify, "H-hey! T'was an accident! I'm serious man!"

"I know."

Kanji winced at how cold her reply was. She wasn't in the best mood it seemed, maybe something reminded her of a bad memory. "Um… is there anything ya wanna talk about?" was all he could say.

Naoto softly shook her head. "No."

With a nod, Kanji put his hands behind his head and leaned back, this time, shuffling away from Naoto slightly.

Since Kanji and Naoto just stared out at the river, thinking, Teddie, feeling the sun and the humid heat, swiped a hand past his forehead to wipe off the sweat. "It's bear-y hot today… hmm… what do people do to cool down… I'm about to roast!"

Suddenly, an idea hit Teddie's brain (or at least, his thoughts, considering that physically, he didn't have a brain), and he snapped his fingers. A light seemed to flick above his head, "Bingo!" he grinned. "I know what we could do tomorrow, guys!"

Both Naoto and Kanji turned over to Teddie. Something told the rough young man that this wasn't going to be a wholesome, family friendly idea, or even a good idea at all. And it wasn't just because it came from the perverted Teddie, "Yeah, what? What's on yer mind?"

"Yes, please tell," Naoto added in. Again, she wondered just what Teddie had in mind. Hopefully, it wouldn't involve what was in front of them… but her mind was already starting to figure out what Teddie might be trying to get at. Her mouth fell flat in a second, it wasn't a pretty thought.

Cocking a grin as he did so, Teddie put his hand to the air, his finger aimed towards the sky, and chanted; "Kanji-kun! Nao-chan! I suggest that we all do a wonderful, wild and _wet_ event tomorrow, one that will rock all our bears off…"

Naoto's eyes widened, "Oh no, don't tell me…."

Teddie got louder, and he almost screamed out, "let's go swimming tomorrow! We can go down to the beach and swim to our bear's content!"

Usually, Kanji would be all up for it. But there was _her_ to think about, and, well, he would guess she wasn't up for swimming, especially since swimming usually meant you took off your clothes and….

Oh damnit, blood was starting to seep from his nose. Kanji quickly spun his head away from the two, trying to hide the emerging nosebleed. The thought of Naoto in a bathing suit was… too much!

Since Kanji was busy trying to stop his nosebleed, it was left for Naoto to respond. The detective's usual expression was cracking in favor of a stammering, reddening expression, and she actually seemed to gasp. If she went to the beach, then she might be pressured to swim, and, well, she didn't want to expose her body. The hot springs was fine because there were girls around, but with two guys….

The bandages around her chest seemed to tighten in response. Granted, she did feel rather hot, and a swim in the cold sea would actually be a pleasant experience. But not only was she having to hide her masquerade, but she also didn't want them to know some… other things. Anything could go so wrong when your guard is down, and so, Naoto shook her head. "I… I…."

Teddie frowned, obviously disappointed. He thought the two would have loved to go swim, but, alas, maybe Naoto just wasn't comfortable. If only she had come in the winter, then they would have had so much more fun! "Aw, that's a shame. Bear-be we can do something else?"

A pang of guilt swept over Naoto. While she _was_ uncomfortable, no doubt about it, she didn't want her friends to change over their plans just because of her. Still blushing, Naoto tipped her hat to hide her expression, and then slowly nodded her head. "Umm… how about we go there then?" she stammered. While she dreaded the thought of showing her body, and was rather embarrassed about it, maybe she could just sit down and read a book, so she didn't have to get in the water… or wear something else.

To hear that made Teddie's entire day. Maybe then he could get Naoto into a swimsuit, and be finally able to see what she looked like under these bandages! Well, he did get a faint peek at the four girls when they were in the Amagi Inn back in 2011, but he didn't tell anybody, and he was too busy fleeing for his life with the other guys to really care. It _was_ a faint peek after all, it wasn't like he actually saw much.

Teddie grinned and started dancing on the spot, "Hurray! You're the best, Nao-chan!"

Kanji had turned around by then, and heard what was going on. He then turned his head right back to hide his next nosebleed. His entire expression had dropped into a mix of awe, glee and horror, while red liquid still poured down his nostrils. Everything, his dreams and his nightmares, were coming together! Tomorrow! 'Oh… _hell_ no!'

**Day 1, 8:30PM**

The trio spent a few more hours around the river, then went back and had dinner, before they parted ways and made a spot to see each other.

After the day had ended and the night had set in, all Kanji could look forward to, was to drop down onto his bed and collapse into a deep, deep slumber. With Naoto settled in and Teddie gone back to the TV World for the night, Kanji's bare feet slid across the wooden floor, as he approached his room….

He stepped inside, and turned his back to his bed, ready to lie on it. A sigh was the only thing to pass Kanji's lips. He pressed the palm of his hand onto his forehead, and rubbed in annoyance, tension and nerves. He had survived the first day without completely irritating Naoto, yet he felt he needed to make her stay as memorable as possible. Now, he just had to get through the second day. The second day, though… Teddie had proposed they hang out somewhere else. Maybe they could go for a swim, either at the new swimming pool or at the local lake.

And people go to lakes to swim (usually). People wear swimsuits to swim. Girls wore revealing swimsuits.

Even if he didn't want it (and he did want it), the mental image of Naoto huddling to herself, holding her knees with an adorable blush and wearing a blue-and-purple bikini, still popped up in his head. He could see her smooth like porcelain skin, her outward, slender, yet a little curvy, hips, her dainty arms covering her chest so well, he couldn't see her bust line, her short purple hair framing her lovely face and flushed cheeks, and her wide open dark blue eyes, staring in shamed embarrassment of her own beautiful body. She turned her head away from Kanji, "No, don't look!" cried Naoto, in a tone more higher pitched and feminine from her usual androgynous tone. And it was really, _really_ cute.

As if on cue, a geyser of a nosebleed suddenly exploded from Kanji's nose, causing him to fall onto his bed. Kanji frowned gravely as he rolled up two tissues to stuff up his nasals.

Now he was _really_ not looking forward to tomorrow.

**Day 1, END**

**Poor Kanji. He never gets the long end of the stick… not in that way, though!**

**With the Yu X Naoto stuff, I might explain what happened. Depends if I can fit it into the story and if you guys are interested.**

**Also, would you prefer if I refer to Protagonist as Souji Seta, or are you okay with me still using Yu Narukami? The Yu name is a personal preference for me, but I want to hear what people have to say.**

**Seeya again!**


	4. I Feel So Extraordinary

**Reunion 4: Day 2 – A: I Feel So Extraordinary**

**Day 2, July 16****th****, 2013**

**Day 2, 7:00AM**

As the mid-summer sun broke over Inaba and the day began to start, the town stirred into action and went back to being the simple Japanese town it usually was. Shops opened, people moved into work, and everything seemed to be fine. However, in the Tatsumi household, there was still one man sleeping peacefully. A bubble emerged from his nostril with each snore. "Zzzzz… snozzzzzz…"

Fast asleep, his arms spread over the bed, Kanji continued to snore. He was completely in a deep sleep, and he liked it like that. It seemed nothing would snap him awake from his slumber….

Until his dreaded alarm clock broke the sleepy silence with a deafening sound. This time, it was a doo-wop style song from an American singer known as Billy Joel.

"_She'll see I'm not so tough~ just because, I'm in love with an Uptown Girl~"_

The song itself was a little pop ditty, but since Kanji tended to set his alarm to insanely loud levels for reasons that involved rocking out, the chanting vocals were enough to snap Kanji back into the waking world and force him up for another day. His upper body snapped itself upright, but the momentum caused his feet to kick up onto the sheet, getting them tied up. "Zzz- GAWAHAAARGH!" screamed Kanji, as his legs got tangled up _again_ and he found himself falling face first onto the floor again. His nose slammed against the floor, and the tissues rolled up in his nose were once again soaked in blood.

Laid out on his stomach, Kanji's limbs twitched slowly, his body raked with pain. Not the best way to wake up. Made him feel like falling unconscious again… though he had plans today, couldn't leave his friends watch his body be dragged out in a stretcher.

After five minutes of twitching and bleeding, Kanji got up, cleaned himself up and began to ready himself for the day. He got dressed in his usual summer gear, but instead of wearing jeans, he instead put on some swimming trunks and sandals, and put on his shades to help shield his eyes from the sun. As annoying and lecherous Teddie was, he at least knew glasses that fit people, and to make things better, he even made sunglasses!

Once he had packed his stuff, Kanji then moved to the kitchen, had breakfast, made some lunch for all three of them, and went out the door. While he was looking forward to today, his face was back to its usual scowl, he was _not_ going to get through this without having to go to the blood bank tonight. He would have prayed or even have chanted a Buddha prayer for mercy, but he wasn't a religious person at all. And even if he was, he was sure karma wasn't looking out for him any time soon.

**Day 2, 9:10AM**

The beach was only a bus trip away. And when Kanji looked around, it was only the three of them on the bus, bar the driver of course. Sat in the back, Teddie couldn't keep the smile off his face for some reason, and continued to bounce on the seat, while Naoto seemed to shrink back, grasping her knees and shifting her eyes, as if she were worried about the upcoming beach trip. Kanji held up his head with his hand, frowning and generally not looking very amused. His arm gripped a bag containing towels, sunscreen, umbrellas, and some food, while Naoto seemed to have brought some books with her. She even had one in her hands right now, and had just flipped the page of one.

Kanji glanced over at the covers of the books under her arm. One seemed to come straight out of a 1940's film noir movie, with a man leaning against a wall, the shadow from his hat covering his eyes. Another had what seemed to be a Western artist's impression of Sherlock Holmes, with the trademark cap and all, smoking a pipe. She was really into her books, real detective stuff even. Maybe if he were a reader, he would enjoy some of the books she loved so much… but he'd had enough murder mysteries to satisfy him for a long time.

He also noticed that she was in her summer outfit. A blue shirt, black pants and shoes, very conservative wear, with her blue shirt having a flat chest. Kanji had wondered if she ever tried to go out with her chest unbound, but considering her personality… probably never would.

To avoid the blood rushing to his cheeks, he stemmed himself away from those thoughts, and looked over to Teddie, who was bopping his head to the music from his MP3 player, singing to himself. The lyrics Teddie sang aloud were definitely from a pop song, probably Risette or any other idol that was currently 'the big thing'. His hand was gripping a bag from Junes, and from first glance, it didn't look like it had food in there. Kanji didn't like the look of that.

Kanji then tore his eyes away from Teddie, and looked straight ahead, at the road warping around them. The trip still had a few minutes left, to the point that the driver implied he was just going to stop and take a break at the next bus stop, which was their stop. Kanji looked down at his sandaled feet, then at Teddie's sandal clad feet, then at Naoto's shoed feet. Kanji pulled his head up at that; looked like one of them wasn't going to go in the water, after all, but at least there were lots of things to do.

Eventually, the bus pulled to a stop, and the whine of a bus door opening snapped Kanji to attention. He got up, almost hitting his head on the roof, and nudged his head over to the door. "Yo, we're here."

Naoto put a bookmark in between the pages of her book, and let the book slam to a close, while Teddie put his headphones away, "Yay~! We're here! I'm ready for a swim~!" he crowed.

**Day 2, 9:40AM**

The beach itself wasn't exactly the cleanest looking beach out there, but it wasn't a waste heap either. And that was just fine for the three of them. At least there was sand, rocks and sea, not to mention that there was plenty of shade. Teddie was the first to whip off his shirt and sandals to reveal blue board shorts, and then he took off for the beach. Naoto sat down by the shade, and continued to read her books. While Kanji tried to talk her into something as small as putting her feet in the water, she shook her head. Kanji didn't try to push her though, and just shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Maybe you'll change yer mind or somethin'."

"We'll see," was her simple reply. There were both cut off from their conversation by the high-pitched squeal of delight coming from their other friend.

"BEAR-ZAI!" cried Teddie._ Splash!_ The familiar sound of something hitting the water filled the air, and both heads were turned to see Teddie emerge from the water, flipping his hair back for dramatic effect. Droplets flew from the blonde strands of hair, and water clung to his smooth skin, making his skin look shiny when the sun shined down on him. The pretty boy looked up into the sky, then at his two friends, holding his hair with his hands as if he were some magazine model, before he cracked a big grin at the two.

"Come on you guys, the water's just bear-fect!" he stretched out his body, revealing his slim, slender form. There were no visible creases of abs or pectorals, which gave the Shadow a delicate shape. His arms were thin, without any sign of weight lifting or anything related to exercise. He looked really weak, but really appealing at the same time. Once he saw what was going on with Kanji, he grinned, giggling at the effect he had on the man.

He giggled as Kanji started to turn red again. Teddie took a sense of fun out of flirting with the delinquent, and otherwise using his looks to try and woo everyone he knew. Considering Kanji's problems with his orientation back then, and his habits, it was all fun and games for Teddie. He wasn't so much into guys, besides, he had his own honey to lay the real charm on! Naoto was a cutie for sure, but to Teddie, she was nothing compared to the gorgeous girl he was into.

Teddie stretched his arms out, and then jumped into the water, dog paddling around in the water. There were no tides or rips, and there were a wall built around the rocks to prevent people from being swept off into sea or bashed against the rocks, so Teddie didn't have to fear getting the stuffing beaten out of him by nature. He looked over at the two, treading water as he got deeper in the blue. "Aw, you guys aren't coming in? I'm bear-y disappointed in you two!" he pursed his lips into a frown.

Kanji snapped out of his brief trance, realized he was blushing, and shook his head. "Shut up, I'm coming in!" yelled Kanji, who quickly pulled his shirt off and let it fall to the floor, revealing his tight bare chest. Teddie giggled at his shirtless physique: while he was no Adonis chiseled from the greatest stone, if you looked at him, you would never be able to tell he had such soft hobbies like making plush animals and sewing. He had an attractive body… too bad his face was like a caveman's, and he had the temper of one too.

Kanji then ran straight towards the sea, his legs pacing back and forth, and then jumped into the water with a deep_ splash_! Some water splashed onto Teddie, who giggled with glee, "Wee~ Kanji-kun, you arrived!"

Kanji whipped his head over as he came out from underwater, spreading droplets everywhere. He then looked over at Teddie, and began to splash, his feet planted on the sand firmly. "So… we're going to get her in?"

With the pretty boy and Kanji now in the water, splashing about, now they just needed to get the Detective Prince into the water, but even the bear knew it would be no easy task. As his arms treaded water, keeping his head afloat, Teddie looked around to see the Junes bag left by the beach, then remembered. A delighted grin fell on his face as he walked out from the sea, water flowing down his boy. He walked with a confident strut, and let sparkles fall, mimicking the models he saw on TV. Making sure to get Naoto's attention, he picked up the bag and swayed his way towards her, stopping when he saw her eyes locked on him with a look of confusion.

"Well Nao-chan, I got just the swimsuit for you! It's your size~" Teddie opened up the bag further, and dug in. Naoto didn't like the sounds of that one bit. Teddie had a rather perverted mind, and who knows what kind of revealing swimwear the guy thought to buy her.

Overhearing it, Kanji turned in the water and gasped, jaw dropped down to an almost comical length, "Eh!" the surprised Kanji gawked. His mind connected the dots almost immediately. Swimsuits and Naoto… his dream was coming true! Deep down, he knew Naoto would refuse on the spot, but he could always dream, or even hope that she would be willing, as big a pipedream as that was. His shoulders seemed to tense up, his body felt like it was on fire, his eyes narrowed down, energy seemed to surround him and supercharge him. Kanji was ready. Kanji was… _burning up_!

Soon enough, Teddie pulled a bikini from the bag, holding it spread out for all to see, "Ta-dah! A fresh, Junes brand swimsuit!"

The bikini itself was a dark blue bikini, with white outlines around the cups. It was sized so it could fit around Naoto's small frame, yet its cups seemed to be able to hold big breasts in it. And to make matters worse… it had a white polka dot pattern on the top_ and_ bottom. It looked utterly embarrassing and something that, while the color scheme would fit her, the polka dots just ruined it.

A look of sheer exasperation crossed over the androgynous girl's face. Naoto made a choking sound that sounded nothing like her cool, calm tone, once the swimsuit was unveiled for her to see. "What, what _is that?_" she almost screamed harshly.

Seemingly having no idea of the tone and words Naoto used, Teddie nodded with a cheeky smile printed on his lips, "A swimsuit! It's flexible, so it will fit around you! Not to worry, Nao-chan, you will be comfortable wearing this!"

"I will _never_ wear that," Naoto said in a tone so stern, Teddie immediately flinched back at how _cold_ it was. Like if he were to show the patterned swimsuit around, she would personally break him. Teddie slowly, and reluctantly, put the bikini back into the bag, disappointed over the turn of events. And to think he would get a shot at this!

But unfortunately for all of them, Kanji had already seen it. And his face seemed to be on fire. Steam even seemed to be visibly pouring from his ears from the water, his entire body from his mouth submerged, and the water seemed to be bubbling around him. Just imagining Naoto wearing that was enough to make his nose shoot blood straight into the water.

Then, in Kanji's mind, he had a vision of Naoto. He could see her looking around, her true shy nature coming out thanks to the exposing bikini. Her lips were parted, and her legs crossed, as her arms covered her chest. That made him so hot and bothered, that his blood almost seemed to burst into flames. Why did his mind tease him with such sensual images! His fingers clenched the ball of his nose, trying to block up the blood, but it only resulted in the blood swelling up the nostrils, causing a constricting pain before long. Kanji released, and the blood splashed down onto the water.

Naoto pulled her head back, and could feel heat rushing to her cheeks. Before the light hazy crimson could stark her face though, she looked away, pulling her cap so only her cropped hair could be seen. The bikini was bad enough, it was days like this that she wished she was a man, at least they didn't have to go around trying to cover everything, and it seemed so easy for them too. Not like she would go around in shorts like those guys did though.

Teddie frowned at Naoto's reluctance, but then he began to unclip the bikini anyway, and placed it against his small pectorals, as if he were measuring how it would fit around his own chest. "Well if Nao-chan won't wear it, then I will! I'll get pretty and become the bear-maid of Inaba! This bear-kini will not go to waste!"

Oh _hell_ no.

"Like hell you will!" shouted Kanji, who leaped across the water to catch Teddie before he could crossdress again. He tackled Teddie and dragged him back into the water, causing him to drop the bikini onto the sand below. Seriously, seeing a man, even if it were a pretty son of a bitch like Teddie, in a bikini was the last thing Kanji wanted. Guys in dresses he could handle, but wearing a bikini was pushing it, and for more than one reason.

Teddie shouted out, thrashing his arms and legs to fight back Kanji, but Kanji soon overpowered him, hugging his body next to his own. Teddie squealed, feeling Kanji's hard body rub against his own soft skin, "Oh, Kanji-kun! I had no idea you wanted me so!"

"Get off!" Cue another blood rush to Kanji's cheeks. He tried to force the blood back, but Teddie, as annoying as he was, had the smooth body of a woman, with the anatomy of a man of course. Knowing this, Teddie then put his hands around Kanji's neck, and nuzzled his cheek against Kanji's collar, and he pressed his hip against Kanji's abs, all just to tease him. But Teddie then saw his entire world turn upside down, along with a roar of anger.

"Don't touch me ya dumb bear!" roared Kanji. Teddie found himself holstered on Kanji's muscular shoulder blades, and his neck and legs were held by Kanji's arms. He could see the blue sky and sun, and he couldn't help a grin seeing seagulls fly past in the sky.

"Hey, thanks for the view, Kanji-kun!"

He couldn't see the grin form on Kanji's lips. Had he seen it, he would have realized: "Now ya'll feel ta Burnin' Hammer!"

Teddie's eyes opened wide. "Burning wha-" then he was cut off by everything before him spinning. Kanji had thrown him up into the air, and then slammed him down onto the sea head first, causing Teddie to squeeze his eyes to avoid salt in his eyes. Teddie could tell from the momentum that Kanji hadn't used even a bit of his physical might, and his landing had been quite soft. Feeling Kanji's hands let go of his body, the blonde boy flipped over to his feet and emerged from the sea, behind Kanji. He had an innocent smile on his face, but his eyes sparked with a childish joy.

"Kanji-kun! So you wanted to wrestle, huh? Let's see who'll bear-come the New Bear Pro Wrestling heavyweight champion!"

Kanji couldn't help a confident grin cross his face, and his eyebrows narrowed at Teddie, "A man like me ain't gonna lose!" but before he could turn his head, he felt thin, dainty arms twist around his back and snagged onto his waist. Kanji grabbed them and grunted, Teddie had a tight grip when he wanted! He then felt Teddie try to lift him for a German Suplex, granted, he was able to get Kanji's feet off the sand, and was trying to make sure he landed on the deeper part for his safety. He jumped slightly into the air, giving Teddie the momentum he needed to lift him, and the tough guy felt his back hit the water softly.

Teddie grinned and pumped his fists in the air, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" but then, he felt his legs be taken out from under him, and his vision turn upside down. He felt his own back press against Kanji's, and his ankles were caught in a grip by Kanji's hands. He tried to wiggle his way out of the strong grip, squeezing his eyes shut, letting his body stretch and curl, his ankles felt like they were caught by the pincers of a crab! He didn't have a chance of escaping! Then Teddie was dropped into the water, and felt water clog up his nose.

The water cooled their bodies and made them feel like a million bucks. Kanji couldn't keep the grin off his face even if he tried. This was fun! He turned over to follow up his move on Teddie, but was surprised by an instant attack from Teddie, who jumped out from within the dark waters, got hold of Kanji's neck, turned himself around and leaped out of the water, sending Kanji face first into the water!

"Bear KO!" chanted Teddie cheerfully. He put his arms out and let his knees sink to the floor, as if he were soaking the glory of the crowd. The energy of the fictional crowd fueled him to win! Then he felt a hand touch his thigh, then got lifted into the sky and slammed gently down onto the water, thanks to a backdrop suplex from Kanji.

Kanji was now standing over Teddie's half-submerged body, looking rather mad, yet his eyes were smiling, "Damn, now I'm really gonna kick your ass!"

The pretty boy wiped his lip with the back of his fist, and narrowed his eyes confidently. "Come and bear it."

The two traded grapples, moves and taunts for the next hour, but eventually, as they took a break, both Kanji and Teddie's attention turned over to Naoto.

As much fun as it was now, Teddie had noticed that, for the last hour of play, Naoto had just been sitting by the trees, flipping through her novels. This made him sad: she had come all this way, and she was just going to spend her time in solitude, reading? That wouldn't do for Teddie. He was going to celebrate life with his friends when he could, that was his creed, and Naoto wasn't going to spend her vacation alone!

He then drifted his blue orbs to Kanji's, watching those small eyes with his own large eyes, "Guess we'll call it a draw, eh, Kanji-kun?" grinned Teddie. Kanji nodded slightly, and then put his hands underwater, letting himself relax. But Teddie spoke up again, and this time, seemed to be a little unhappy.

"I'm gonna see how she's bear-ing."

To his surprise (or lack of), Kanji got straight up to his feet and paused, standing rather awkwardly. His lips were in a half-frown, half-neutral cross, and his eyes darted back and forth, seemingly embarrassed, yet encouraged, by the idea of talking to the crossdresser; "I'll go see her, Ted."

Kanji then turned tail on Teddie and began to step towards Naoto, his shoulders hunched over. He seemed to hold his legs out, making his walk seem rather… strange. He walked over to the tree Naoto was sat in, and kept standing over her with a small frown printed on his face. Kanji's body language and his shaking legs implied he wanted to sit next to Naoto, but he didn't want to spook her out, so he just went for standing a few meters away from her, in order not to intrude her personal space.

"Yo. Naoto."

The novel tilted slightly, and a dark eye stared at him. "Yes, Kanji-kun?"

"Ever wanted to go swimmin'?" he muttered, half under his breath and half clearly. His hand swept past his hair.

The reply was instantaneous, with no hesitation. "No."

He leaned against the tree, slightly shrugging at the feeling of wood against his bare skin, and glanced at the leaves filtering the sunlight, the small breeze rustling the leaves slightly and exposing slight glares of light into his eyes. "Ya not much of a swimmer, huh?"

"Exactly," said Naoto, "is that a problem with you?"

Kanji immediately bit his lip and made a grunting sound in his throat, widening his eyes in surprise at her, "It ain't! Ev'a thought you might be missin' somethin' though?"

She flipped a page of her detective novel, and glanced at the first paragraph, before looking back at Kanji, "Can you see I am enjoying a good book?"

He nodded, taking note of what she was reading, "Yeah, but ya gotta give things a try, I guess..." Kanji crossed his arms, and stared back at the sea, as Teddie flopped around in the water, "I get ya don't want to wear swimsuits, but there should be somethin' that can hide your body." Thinking about Naoto's body, the delinquent then turned his head away from Naoto and covered his face with his hand, feeling his hand almost burn thanks to the heat in his blushing face.

Naoto sighed, and closed her bookmarked book, why wouldn't he just give up? "It's not just that."

Kanji heard those words, and taken by surprise, he looked right over at Naoto. His expression was rather interested, his eyebrows were arched up. "Eh?"

Now she had done it. Realizing her mistake, the young androgynous detective broke eye contact and tried to hide her face in shame, using both her hat and her dark hair to camouflage herself, even though her slightly tanned skin still stuck out. She had tried to be stubborn, to make it clear she was only interested in reading, but he was too pushy. Why was he so intent on making her get into the water? For all his stammering and blushing around her, Kanji was rather forceful when he wanted, especially when it came to his friends who weren't named Yu Narukami. So, she went back to what her upbringing told her, and decided to be bluntly honest, even if it meant a small blow to her pride.

"I… I can't swim…" she basically whispered. That didn't come out well. She gulped, feeling so small and embarrassed to having admitted that.

Kanji arched an eyebrow. "So what? Ya can't even tread water?"

She shook her head, and tilted her head down, so Kanji couldn't see her expression. "I… never learnt how to." It was humiliating as it was to admit it. And even worse to go somewhere where the _whole_ idea was to swim. Or relax in the sun.

If only she could shrink back behind the tree and continue reading the adventures of her favorite detectives.

That very faint admission caused something to snap in Kanji. To hear that Naoto couldn't swim, well, maybe he should have seen it coming, but to him, the idea of being unable to swim sucked. His eyes actually opened in surprise, "Ya… dunno how to swim?"

She nodded, she tried to put on a serious expression, but Kanji could see it was failing, and her eyes were trying to avoid his gaze. "I… I thought I said that," countered Naoto, trying to sound like her usual self, but failing.

To Kanji, Naoto never did seem like the athletic type, well, back in high school, he never saw her around the pool. Given the boy's swimming costumes would have exposed her charade and showed a lot more of the guys' bodies then she was comfortable with… Hell, while he was good at athletics, not on Kou or Daisuke's level, but still decent, Kanji remembered Naoto struggling to keep up in track.

The glare he gave her seemed to get even more fired up, and he put his hand forward for Naoto to grab onto… even if the idea of holding hands with Naoto was enough to make blood rush to his head again. He tried to force that away though, and kept up his tough guy act to encourage her, "I'll teach ya then! It's easy!"

Naoto then pulled her head back and stared wide eyed at Kanji, her dark eyes giving him a look of surprise and disbelief. "Eh?" she choked in her desperation to say a word, much less a rebuttal. Naoto would have kicked herself now… she sounded like such a complete dolt that it wasn't funny in the slightest.

This had nothing on how Kanji reacted though.

He clenched his fist, feeling his manliness, his hope, his burning might pour into his being, Kanji could feel, no, he _knew_ that this was the time to make himself a real man! "I'll teach ya how to swim! Come on, Naoto! We'll make men outta each other! Dun be afraid of the water! The water's afraid of you!"

Naoto tried to back away, but Kanji was much taller than her, and leaned over her with an intense spark of manliness and courage within his small eyes. She pulled herself back, and put her arm in front in a protective gesture, "D-Do I have anything resembling a choice here?" yelped Naoto, lampshading her fate.

"I said it's sink-or-swim, damnit! And yer gonna swim!"

**Oh dear. Someone's determined to see Naoto swim!**

**Couldn't help the pro wrestling references there, lol. I could see Kanji being into puroresu, hence the Burning Hammer. Comments and feedback are much appreciated. I had intended to make this a whole bigger chapter, but as I said, things are getting busier, and I don't want to slack off.**


	5. Blue Savannah

**Reunion 5: Day 2 – B: Blue Savannah**

**I am so sorry for being late. I wish I had been faster, but I'd like to thank all who reviewed and put this story on alert! I've struggled with a few things (writer's block, busy weeks, got into Mass Effect etc.) but I'll try to keep this story updated.**

**EDITED 31st of March**

**Day 2, 12:00PM**

Naoto Shirogane and Kanji Tatsumi were both stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, they were at a beach, and Kanji wanted Naoto to swim. And on the other hand, Naoto both didn't want to and couldn't swim. Oh, and she lacked a swimsuit she would actually wear. It didn't help either one of them that the sun poured down on the two, helping to heat the bubble of atmosphere around them, making what already a hot day into a day that was absolutely scorching.

'Sink-or-swim!' was what he had told Naoto. And yet despite his showboating towards the young female detective, and for all his toughness, as long as Naoto was in his proximity, he would always turn to mush. And so far, with the awkward quiet looming over them once again, he was going to be a blushing mess in front of her again.

Both were at a standstill. It was as if they couldn't make the first move on each other… Kanji's former masculine, dominant position had given way, as his tough guy aura slowly began to fade in favor of his enormous crush, while Naoto was probably too freaked out by the pierced blonde boy's testosterone charged rant to really do anything else.

His knees almost bent into an awkward slope, but the boy kept them straight. All he managed was a meek, "… yer gonna swim or what?"

And again, she broke the mood with a non-too-subtle shake of her head. "I've told you, Kanji-kun, I c-cannot swim," she shook her head briefly after that stutter, "Nor do I wish to swim." Her tone was getting serious now, and her eyes formed back into their stern gaze. "And even so, how would I be able to swim when I do not have adequate swimwear?" the less she thought about that polka-dot monster of a bikini, the better off she was, so she felt.

Kanji corkscrewed his fist into a ball, "We'll find something so you can beat the water!" spoke Kanji with gusto in an attempt to save face. Naoto seemed unfazed this time around, so with that a failure, he tilted his head quizzically, "… Yeah, s'pose that's a problem, huh," he crossed his arms together and tried to think. What could she wear… what could she wear to hide her figure? Well, he couldn't think of anything except certain swimsuits that, no matter what, would reveal her figure. And he didn't want to nosebleed right here.

The girl sat down by the tree again, and picked up her book, "I suppose that swimming is out of the question then," she said coldly, but Kanji swore there was a tint of satisfaction in there. Oh, good for her.

But Kanji was not going to give up that easy. Gathering his courage, he stood up straight on his legs, and thrust his arm forward, flexing his well-toned bicep, "We ain't sayin' that yet!" he pointed his thumb to the Junes bag Teddie had, "gotta be s'more swimsuits there! You ain't scared of them, are ya?"

Unfortunately, that seemed to be the magic word as to attract Teddie over to the spot. He seemed to zip all the way from paddling in the sea to standing right across from them, Junes bag in hand and soaking wet. His innocent expression didn't sit well with either two. Kanji knew from the first second that he was up to no good again.

"Well it's funny you should say that, Kanji-kun, bear-cause I have plenty more bear-kinis and swimsuits in here! Let me show you my collection!" grinned Teddie, his hands were already dug into the bag, fishing out the first swimsuit. He held out a Yasogami High female swimsuit, black like the school dresscode, but otherwise looking like your average Japanese high school swimming costume.

It didn't take either of them two seconds to notice that the swimsuit could easily fit around Teddie's thin frame. Kanji was about to say something, but Naoto shook her head at him to keep him quiet.

Teddie, confused by the silence, flashed another small smile to lighten the mood, "Ah, not into that stuff, huh? I think I know just what you guys need…" he whipped out the green-and-yellow swimsuit with haste, and grinned as he held it out for both to see, "… the beartastic combo of a bikini top and a _tiny miniskirt_!"

The bikini top was at least more modest than the 'Polka Dot Monster' as _that_ swimsuit should now be known as, with its cups wide enough to cover quite a lot of breast and not expose cleavage. However, the miniskirt would have been barely able to cover the wearer's crotch, it didn't even float down to the upper thigh, and probably would have exposed a bit of lower buttock as well. Teddie seemed to have an even wider grin on his face and winked, Kanji seemed to choke and go wide-eyed for a split-second.

The girl was the one to speak up this time, "I will _not_ be wearing that." Naoto said profusely.

Kanji sighed in relief. Naoto would probably wear only the most conservative swimsuit ever made, and as much as he enjoyed the image of Naoto in a swimsuit, it was likely the possibility she'd wear one, was if she was willing to wear male swimming clothes, and _only_ that. It was for the best, he was trying to save the bloodbank this time around.

Teddie pouted, but he resigned himself and put away the swimsuit. He then took out several more swimsuits, grinning as he flicked through them. First was a purple one-piece, exposing the midriff. It seemed to be made for taller people, but neither Kanji nor Naoto wanted to know who it was made for. Then out came a red bikini with only thin straps. Like any girl with dignity would wear that. When that had come out from the bag, Kanji had glanced over at Naoto, and his eyes shot wide open to see her steaming. Her cheeks were red, and her lips were pressed into an unimpressed frown. Someone wasn't winning any favors with the teenage detective.

Now that Teddie was stuck flipping around swimsuits, Kanji paused and wondered what was going on in Naoto's head….

To say Naoto was unimpressed was underestimating how she was feeling. She stood in her rigid stance, her legs narrowed up, a gulp caught on her throat that she couldn't swallow down no matter what. Who on Earth would collect all these swimsuits? She deducted that he thought giving women free swimsuits would help him 'score', it was just him being his hormonal self, or… he liked dressing up in them. The thought of Teddie strutting around with a swimsuit on was definitely not the usual image, but given his thin body, he could possibly pull it off… she did doll him up that one time he cosplayed as Alice, after all.

But what kind of swimsuits were they? Naoto stayed silent, unable to think up something to say, but she still felt her cheeks glow red. Both out of embarrassment at seeing those embarrassing pieces of female swimwear, distorted for sex appeal, and out of anger. Teddie was her friend, he was everyone's friend, but really, he needed to stop being so forward and reliant on his hormones. Now that she thought about it, did he even know what 'scoring' is about? Then again, she didn't have any clue on that subject either, and he was also a Shadow, so she couldn't blame him for not seeing things that way.

Naoto looked over to the tree, and was ready to turn and walk over, to sit down and read… when she saw a shirt and shorts. Kanji turned his head over to her, and nudged his head, "Oi, Naoto, there's sumthin' you can wear!" he then tossed his head back, preventing her from seeing his full expression. He had been doing that a lot lately… must still be getting over the surprise of her sudden visit.

The detective took a step back, and looked away at the grass beneath her shoed feet, trying not to look at either of the two. Oh, what kind of costume did the two, or at least Teddie, want her to wear? "I… I told you I was not going to wear…"

She looked at the wetsuit and shorts again. The shorts themselves would reach down to her knees, and had a purple color. The wetsuit shirt would mean her chest wouldn't be revealed, nor would it reveal anything else about her body. She could compromise, and it wasn't like anything else could cover her body… even the tape and vests she wore around her breasts couldn't hide her curves. Besides, she was better off wearing masculine clothes in any fashion either way.

She opened her lips slightly, and adjusted the cap tensely, peeling it slightly from her hair. Kanji wanted her to swim, and while she was still somewhat against the idea, wearing something like that wouldn't be too bad. At least she'd still look like a boy and it wasn't revealing, a bonus in her book.

She then put her finger and thumb on her cap, and began to slowly peel it off, "Kanji-kun. You know how you told me it was sink-or-swim, and, in your own words, 'You're going to swim?'"

Kanji winced… but then, his mind figured out what she was up to, and he pumped his fist with a manly grin, "Hey! You're getting into the spirit of it, aren't ya? Become a real swimmer, Naoto!"

Naoto's expert hand already grabbed the androgynous clothing off Teddie's hand, and she then pulled the cap from her head, revealing her short, cropped, silky hair. She flashed a small smile, before her expression flipped back to its usual calmness.

When she turned away, Kanji immediately felt the wet stem of blood dripping from his nose.

_**10 minutes later….**_

Giving Naoto some time to get changed (there was a nearby facility, and while Naoto still seemed a little reluctant, it was probably nerves if anything), Kanji and Teddie were sat down on the floor. Teddie had flipped through a Sherlock Holmes novel, but his short attention span found it boring, he put it back on the floor for Naoto to keep reading. It seemed they were not going to swim, until a certain voice came through the silent air….

"Well, I'm… ready."

Both boys turned their head over, and while Teddie again had a sparkling grin on his face, appearing rather satisfied at what he was seeing, Kanji's cheeks began to blaze up again, and he gulped. This time he forced down the blush, and stood straight, looking rather rigid and still… very unlike him.

Naoto stood in front of them, straight and professional, looking rather serious… well, her face was slightly crimson, but her stance was not faltering. That was, if you discounted the wetsuit clad on her flat, smooth upper body, and the shorts that went just below her knees, exposing her lower legs and feet. She did look like a boy still… a really cute boy.

The taller boy's stance began to falter, he fell a little forward, looking at Naoto with awestruck eyes. He was really delighted to see Naoto in a swimsuit… even if it wasn't the kind of swimsuit he wanted. It was nice to see her trying new things, but he was definitely going to enjoy paddling around with her, that was for sure.

Kanji then looked over at Teddie, who seemed to be rather satisfied. Hopefully he didn't try anything fishy with the swimming clothes….

The three then moved over to the shoreline. Teddie crawled into a running position and glanced at the two as his feet dug into the sand, "Enjoy the water, it's bear-y warm, Nao-chan!" he then dashed off into the water, and swam around, minding his own business.

Kanji scowled at Teddie, and stiffened when he looked over to the right and saw Naoto looking at him rather deadpan. He then looked at the slow, pacing waves, then at Naoto, before he frowned. "We gotta get into the water, right?" half-mumbled Kanji, and he put his hand over for Naoto to hold onto, even if the thought of holding hands was enough to make him go red, "You ready?"

Kanji put his foot into the water, then lifted his other foot in, and slowly dipped it in. "See? It ain't so bad once ya get used to it."

A small nod was all she gave. Her toes curled against the sand, gripping onto the sandy floor and feeling something odd in between the digits, she never went barefoot outside, and all these new sensations to her feet were rather unpleasant. She looked at the dark saltwater, and tilted her head up slightly, "I… I suppose it won't be," she tried to say. Feeling a little brave now, she walked further towards the sea, and began to put her toes into the water.

It was cold… strange. She then put her entire foot into the water, up to her ankle. She looked up to Kanji, whose face lightened up into a small smile, "Ya see? Just gotta get used to it."

Naoto slowly nodded. She began to let her feet slide further, but a sudden chill ran through her feet and up her legs, shocking her. This caused her to hop off closer to Kanji, who seemed surprised at her sudden jump, although she certainly didn't intend to get closer to the fellow teenager. She didn't make any noises, even if her throat was begging to speak up.

Kanji's expression lowered slightly, "Ya alright over there?"

A shake of her head followed. Kanji shuffled slightly in the water, and lifted his arm. She lowered her head, curious to what Kanji was trying to do. His hand moved up to her arm level, up to her forearm. Her eyes focused on her hand, unable to pick up the cue… at least, at first. She then moved her attention to Kanji's face, and paused.

"Do you want me to hold your hand, Kanji-kun?" she said in a tone tougher than usual.

Kanji bit his lip, and twisted his head further away so she didn't notice the constant crimson painting his face. "Damnit, it's only if you want it."

"I am _not_ scared of the water, if that's what you're thinking. I don't need to have my hand held."

And as if to prove her point, the stubborn girl took a further step into the water, this time feeling her ankle submerge into the cold sea. She almost jumped feeling the cold crawling up her legs, but she huffed, and continued.

He nodded slowly. Naoto wasn't going to ask for help, and even though she had agreed to it, she never said anything about _learning_ to swim. Kanji slowly walked alongside Naoto, still holding his hand up, in case she needed support. Maybe it would have been a lot easier if it were just them, or if he wasn't crushing so hard on her. But given how delicate she could be, Kanji just couldn't resist trying to help her out like this.

Naoto looked to be making progress, even if her steps were getting smaller and smaller. That was until she felt something wet, slimy and _alive_ on the soles of her feet. Since she never went anywhere barefoot, she tended to have rather sensitive feet, especially to the great outdoors. She yelped, making sure not to sound feminine but masculine, and found herself reaching out… causing her to grab the wrist of the man next to her.

She looked over from the wrist, and up the muscular, toned arm… then to the simple face of one Kanji Tatsumi. Naoto's eyes widened big time, and her hand let go of his wrist by reflex. She then palmed her face with her wrist-grabbing hand, kneading the forehead with her fingertips.

For a moment, she thought she felt heat that didn't come from above, instead from her left.

"Ya stood on some seaweed," Kanji's rough voice broke the silence, and indeed, Naoto looked down and could see the seaweed poking around her feet. Naoto felt some heat on her cheeks, mostly out of embarrassment: how could she have acted like this in front of him?

"It seems I have."

She still tried to take this on like a professional: just have Kanji supervise her, she knew the guy would make sure she was safe, but she knew how to look after herself. She lacked the ability to swim, but how hard could it really be? Even if she couldn't tread water… she then looked over at Kanji, trying to ease the heat from her cheeks.

"Yo, Naoto, how far ya wanna go on?" Kanji again broke her silence, "Up to yer knees? Wanna tread water?"

Now she was giving him the silent treatment again. Her own lack of social skills was biting her in the back again. This was not her best moment. Naoto, now getting flustered, grunted and, to her own disbelief, shot her hand forward and grasped Kanji's own, not holding it particularly tightly, but also stepping two steps away from him.

Even Kanji wasn't prepared for it, as he immediately gawked and went completely stiff.

The grip the young man had on the young woman's hand seemed to tighten, his callused, strong fingers pressed against her own callused, yet delicate and smooth fingers. His muscular arms seemed to tighten, if he wanted to, it felt like he could rip her apart. Yet, his gentle hold never strengthened nor wavered. He looked absolutely gobsmacked as what was going on around him clicked into place.

He was holding hands with Naoto. She was looking away from him now, shuffling her feet on the ground in an adorable fashion. Her usual calm and collected expression seemed to fade in favor of a mix between surprise and shyness. The intellectual detective was completely out of her element, and Kanji just couldn't take that. It wasn't just cute… it was off-the-wall atmospheric totally _cute_.

The clincher was when she looked at him with those dark, hazy orbs. "Kanji-kun, I told you…."

His face was approaching supernova temperatures in only two seconds. '_SO CUTE!_' he gasped, trying not to say it out aloud.

"This is embarrassing." The blunt Naoto cut in, trying to release her hand from Kanji, "I don't need assistance. Besides, we're only knee-deep in water."

Feeling a little shamed, he looked down to check: indeed, while Naoto's knees were at level with the water, his calves were the highest the water got to. Kanji began to doubt whenever he should have been so encouraging, to say the least, but he didn't hesitate to keep holding her hand.

Kanji was about to step a little further into the water, when Teddie came along paddling by. Sat down so only his head was visible, he grinned at the two cheerfully.

"You two look like the bear-est couple of them all! Kanji-kun and Nao-chan, the King and Queen of Yasogami High School!" he then put a finger on his cheek, thinking to himself, and shot an innocent grin at the two, "But in this case, wouldn't Kanji-kun be the Queen, and Nao-chan be the King?"

Both faces flushed a deep red at that. The irritated Kanji kicked his leg out at Teddie, throwing water at the bear, "Shut up ya stupid bear!" he yelled, obviously stunned by the lecherous bear's words. The water hit Teddie, and he laughed at the sensations and his own silly joke, irritating the rash young man even further, so this time he kicked even harder, baring his teeth.

In what was meant as a protective gesture, he kept his grasp on Naoto's hand rather tight, holding her fingers with an almost vice-like grip. Naoto winced out in pain and squeezed her eye shut, her fingers began to part, trying to pry her hand away from Kanji's grip, or at least suggest to him that she wanted out. It wasn't working at all, and Kanji was too busy trying to splash the bear.

That was until she spoke up.

"Kanji-kun, your grip is rather tight."

"H… huh?" mumbled Kanji, barely paying any attention to Naoto… that was until she cried out again.

"Kanji-kun, you are hurting me. Let go this instant!"

Hearing her plea, Kanji immediately dropped his grip on her and pulled back, giving her some space, "Shit! Sorry 'bout that!"

She was rubbing her hand, and shook her head away from Kanji. "I… d-don't need to be… h-held…" she lowered her head, her dark eyes fell away from him and towards the water, then rose back up at his face. He didn't seem to look upset, but he had surprised written all over his face. Why was Kanji so simple?

Again, Naoto stood straight, and began to walk into the water again, this time, trying to avoid anything that wiggled on the thrones of wet sand below. Her analytic eyes scanned around, finding anything off that she couldn't step on… soon, she was up to her torso in water, and then, that was when she stopped. It wasn't the cold, which she was now getting used to… it was moreso that her problem, her inability to swim, was staring her right in the face.

Kanji was already further down than her, thanks to his own long legs and tall torso, he was in deeper waters. He watched her with his usual glaring eyes, yet there was definitely softness in them. He gestured for Naoto to go forward. She shook her head.

He raised his eyebrows at the girl. "Yo, wassup?"

She pressed her feet against the wet sandy grounds, "I'm… not sure I want to do this."

The detective told herself that maybe she should just trust him. After all, she did spot him even when he was in his 'gang leader' days giving toys to kids, and telling them he would make more. Not to mention he was always good with women and children… well, when he wasn't cussing up a storm or fighting. He was a soft simpleton at heart, really.

The boy only lowered his eyebrows slightly, "Dun worry. You ain't gonna be swept out or anythin'."

Naoto's eyes drifted over to the horizon, then back to Kanji, slightly wide open now, "I guess so. But I am not sure if I can still do this."

Well, it was time to try convincing her at least. Kanji gulped, gathered his courage, and said with a boisterous bellow, "S'ppose you can use me to float! You ain't gonna drown with me around! Like I said, I'll teach ya! It's easy! Real men's stuff!"

Taken back an inch, however, this wasn't enough to change the stubborn Naoto's mind. "I… what does swimming have to do with manliness?"

"I said we'll make men outta each other, and damnit, we will!" Kanji was really getting into the moment now. He clenched his fist and flexed his hand, his eyes blazing, like he was _burning up_!

She felt a small pang of hurt at that excuse. Even after she had accepted herself, nothing could change that she still wished she was a man. And here Kanji was, caught in the moment, but still, going on about manliness. She'd have to talk to him about that, she thought. Aware of the intense look in Kanji's eyes, Naoto's better instincts told her to get out of the water, but, there was something really amusing about his simple attitude that made her amused, and even… like she could do it, with him around. She decided here and there, she might as well do it, even if it was because Kanji was her friend, and he wanted to help her try it.

"What do you do?" asked Naoto, staring right at Kanji with what seemed to be no relent in her eyes.

Taken aback, Kanji looked to the side sheepishly, then back at Naoto, trying his best to keep his manly streak going, "Umm... you can kick underwater in a pattern or sumthin'. Grab hold… I'll show ya."

Naoto nodded, and while she felt a little insecure touching his bare arms, and even thought of not doing it… but, she fought that off, and clasped onto his shoulders. Kanji began to lift off, so Naoto lifted her feet from the sandbanks and watched as Kanji swam around. First, there was lifting the leg from the water, then sending it down, then lifting the other leg, then sending it down… what a simple, yet effective pattern!

She kept herself calm and cool, as Kanji began to lift himself towards the deeper end. As Kanji moved around, kicking his strong legs in the water, both teenagers moved through the water, swiftly, yet gently. An impressed Naoto drifted with the strong young man, holding onto him. Her hands gripped tightly onto his round shoulders, and her legs dangled away from his.

Eventually, Kanji stopped at a part where she could still stand, and softy nodded at Naoto, arms crossed.

"That's how ya do it. Notice my legs?" said Kanji.

Naoto nodded. "Yes. I will try."

She then stepped forward, and then felt her feet leave the sand. Kanji moved to her side, and even offered his arms to her again, which she took by grabbing hold of the right arm. Remembering Kanji's instructions, she began to gently kick her legs in the water. The slight pressure from the water itself made it slightly resistant, as Naoto felt, but it wasn't hard to overcome that. Kanji saw this, and even lifted himself off the floors to kick alongside her, as she used his shoulders as floats.

Clutching his shoulders for support, she gasped, feeling the firm curve of his shoulder under her smooth palm. But to help her grip, she twisted over to his front, so that both could look each other in the eye. He grumbled, his lips pressed into a frown, his vision almost going dizzy from the blaring heat storming in his cheeks. It was bad enough with her by his side, but she was really right there, in front of him! The Detective Prince in all her swimwear glory!

But he actually really liked the feeling. If only she would massage him with those hands, it would truly be heaven. His arms wanted to cradle her though, to keep her safe and make sure she never had to worry. But he respected her personal space, and there was still that accident from yesterday he had to keep mind of….

Naoto's own soft hands against his solid arms made his face glow with what seemed to be a now perpetual crimson shade. Given their height difference, Kanji could still stand on the water, while Naoto had to now do her best to float. Of course, if he dropped her, she could end up going down… he had her safety in his hands. And looking at Naoto, she tried to pull her face back, while letting her legs gently kick underwater.

Little did he know, that Naoto herself was also red in the face, but for different reasons. Kanji being close to her like this was rather pushing her comfort level, given this was to help her though, she was fine with it… in a way. But it was also that he was being really soft on her, like she was a piece of fragile china. To be treated like a kid or some nuisance, or as a delicate little girl felt rather insulting, yet, there was something about the way Kanji treated her that made her think about his good heart underneath that sour exterior.

"Yo, Naoto," said Kanji. She managed to regain her composure, and she looked over at Kanji. The tough young man then moved his arm across the water, shifting it past the surface, demonstrating a move to Naoto, "Okay, s' ya move your arm like this, in a set pattern, ya see?"

She followed his movements, shifting and pushing her arm like Kanji's in a specific rhythm. "Like this?" she could feel herself grow a little less heavier in the water, as her arms helped to hold her over the surface of the water. He nodded, and then, Naoto felt something loosen on her arms. And yet, she wasn't falling underwater, or even struggling to keep afloat.

She then realized that Kanji had her let go of him with that hand technique, and she was floating on the water by her own accord. Naoto's eyes widened feeling nothing supporting her, but, she didn't submerge. She was actually drifting her head over the line, her shoulders also visible. Naoto turned her vision over to Kanji, who grinned.

"Ya see? That's swimmin' right there! No sinkin', just swimmin'!"

Naoto began to let her legs kick in the water, and her arms began to gently weave back-and-forth in the water. She let herself relax, and to reassure herself, her toes gently pressed against the wet sand below time to time. Now she was getting into this, but she still didn't trust herself with doing strokes and going deeper into the water. She then began to let herself float, letting her lithe body relax. She even felt her face get a little redder, and was unable to help a slight smile crawl on herself. This was rather relaxing… and she had Kanji to thank for it!

Kanji then took a few steps back and crouched down, ready to catch Naoto if she lost her rhythm. He watched her on equal eye level, "Naoto, can ya kick towards me? You gotta use your legs."

He kept his distance from her, but held out his arms in case she spluttered. Naoto nodded, and lifted her feet from out the water, her body angled. Her legs began to start kicking, rather weakly, as her hands circled in the water to keep her head afloat. She was actually doing rather well, while her posture wasn't straight and she seemed to flutter and splash a bit in the water, she was getting the hang of it. Kanji was smiling; he was actually pleased she was willing to give it a try.

However, as she got closer to Kanji, her leg was lifted a little too long, making her slip on that one kick. Her balance ruined, her head fell briefly underwater with a short horrified yelp.

"Naoto!" Kanji yelled in surprise, and immediately put his hands forward to bring her out, fearing the worst for her. But Naoto pressed her hands down onto the water, using enough power to bring her head up, her hair now soaking wet. She then stopped however, and quickly pulled back in pain.

"Naoto?" Kanji looked a little worried for her, and watched. Feeling the sting of salt in her eyes though, Naoto rubbed at her irritated eyes with the back of her hands, moaning slightly as she tried to swipe the salt off them.

"Hey, ya alright?" the young man asked Naoto in a caring tone, very unlike him. He even stepped towards her; she looked like she was definitely in pain.

She whined softly, like a girl would, much to her humiliation. She was supposed to be tough and masculine: and a little irritation was making her like this? Another dent to her pride, damn it all. She eventually rubbed the salt off and felt her eyes clear up, much to her relief. After clearing the water, her hands moved from her eyes, her entire face seemed to shine, her eyes contracted and her jaw slightly dropped. Even if she didn't intend it, she looked totally vulnerable, it wasn't funny.

Kanji paused. Her cuteness was just overloading his systems. His chest began to constrict, his throat tightened, how could Naoto be this _cute_ and this _charming_? He gulped, sweat began to mix with the water, his nostrils flared and he began to breathe much faster and deeper. He gulped once again. What felt like a few minutes began to pass, but awareness began to come to Kanji's world once again as Naoto then dropped her vulnerable expression, and her eyebrows seemed to arc up in surprise at something behind the man.

Then a sudden splash hit Kanji right on the head. The cold sensation caused him to jump slightly, he turned around scowling at who hit him.

Teddie was right in front of him, leaning towards Kanji. "Got you~!"

Taken aback, Kanji at first narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy while trying to stem the redness from his cheeks. Teddie cocked his head to the left with that puckered smile smeared over his face, which encouraged Kanji to push the effeminate boy back right into the water.

"Argh! What was that for!" he yelled.

A high yelp followed by the splash caused drops to fall over Kanji, who stared into the waters below with fierceness in his eyes. Teddie pierced through the water almost like a dolphin, and fell onto his back, grinning at the taller guy all the way. He nudged his head to Kanji's left, "Maybe you should check what's bear-hind you?"

His entire body rotated to the left, "What the-" but it was too late. He got hit on the face with a blast of water. Kanji's jaw dropped, his arms fell back and he almost lost his footing, causing him to fall back into the water… then he pulled his head back up, and there, he saw a rather surprising sight.

Naoto had her arm rested on the water, a visible smile on her face. "You should have seen the look on your face, Kanji-kun. You did not expect that, I see."

His eyes widened until they were almost spheres. Out of all people, _Naoto_ was getting into the water fun? He didn't expect her to take to that kind of thing, and thought she would just paddle about with his help for a little bit, then leave it at that. But this was even better! A grin spread across his face, and softly, Kanji dunked his arm into the water and scooped it forward, splashing some water onto Naoto.

Naoto put her hand forward, blocking the playful splash, but the cool, tingling sensation made her smile some more. It wasn't a small smile either; it was a genuine, lips tucked in, cheeks out, lower eyelids contracted, smile. She then returned the gesture by swiping her hand past the water again, sending another flash of water onto Kanji.

Kanji then felt it hit his chest, and he jumped a little at the ticklish drops falling onto him. He arched an eyebrow, looking rather confident.

For the first time since they arrived, Naoto was smiling and even giggling. And that was the most wonderful sound to Kanji. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. His strong arms threw themselves in front of his face to dodge splashes from both Teddie and Naoto, and he backed his right arm back on the ready.

"So ya got me! Take this!" Kanji, with all his testosterone, gathered up an enormous amount of power in his arm. Kanji screamed with all his manly might, as he threw his arm across the water, swiping a major updraft of water onto both Naoto and Teddie. The sparkling stream slammed onto the two, drenching them further.

Naoto covered herself from the water by pushing her arms forward, chuckling, before she ran off to the shoreline, only her feet covered by the water. She turned, pulled back her leg and kicked the sea, splashing a stream of crystal clear, salty liquid onto Kanji and Teddie. "I will not relent!" shouted Naoto with another loud chuckle.

Kanji was laughing too, but when the water hit him right on the face, he paused, his eyes wide open and his lips pursed out in confusion. The stunned Kanji appeared shocked and confused for only a few seconds, before his eyebrows narrowed, and his mouth twitched at the side to form a dangerous smirk. He looked ready to pounce on Naoto, but Teddie had other ideas….

"Wah! So bear-y salty!" Teddie screamed in faux-fright, quickly shaking his head to get rid of the water, before he then leapt out at Kanji to try and pull him under. Kanji grinned, his strength easily able to overcome the slender, soft pretty boy.

"Ain't gonna take me down that easy!" yelled Kanji, he put an arm around Teddie's waist and he threw Teddie off him, causing him to fly slightly into the air before crashing into the water below, sending water everywhere. Bubbles surfaced, as Teddie seemed to stay underwater. Kanji kept his guard up, but a shadow came over him. He looked right up and found his attention drifting to Naoto, who stood over Kanji in a dominant position.

"I suppose this is… checkmate," a small grin was prominent on her face, she then dumped water right onto Kanji's face, then pushed him into the water. Water enveloped his surroundings, but his arms shot out to try and grab Naoto's own slender arms, only for her to pull back from his grasp. He grunted and pulled his head out from the watery chains, with silky salt water slowly dripping down his face, bringing out his fierce, dominating, yet protective eyes.

For all his skills at intimidation garnered from experience and fighting bikers, he didn't expect Naoto to splash more water on him, which caused him to comically reel back onto his back and stare like a sheep who had been climbing a tower all night, and not to mention, was being chased by his own worst nightmare. The ambush of salt caused Kanji to lose his footing, and he slipped back under the water. Water cascaded above the area of impact, as Naoto stood there, giggling.

Kanji quickly raised his head out of the water, scowling at defeat, "'Ey, I was offguard there…" and saying that, playfully splashed some water up towards Naoto. Naoto pulled back, slightly wide-eyed, but shook her head slowly. She then splashed more water on him, this time with her foot. Kanji's hands whipped out and caught Naoto's foot, and grabbing the other, Kanji shifted Naoto's weight over, so she would tumble softly into the sea.

Stunned, Naoto went wide eyed and fell onto her bottom, briefly sat there in the low shore, blinking as water dripped over her. It was indeed a surprise, and her whole body now was shivering from water everywhere. She stared over at Kanji, with not even an expression on her face. Kanji seemed to raise his eyebrows, taken in… when her foot emerged from, and kicked some water on his face.

Kanji himself fell back into the sea, and when he came back from underwater, he grinned, sharing Naoto's delighted, if still small, smile. He began to rise up to his feet, and same with Naoto.

"Are you ready for more, Kanji-kun?" asked Naoto, ready to splash him once again.

Kanji only put his hand on his bicep and flexed his arm, grinning, "Oh hell yeah!"

As the three played, the sun was starting to go down….

**Reviews/feedback are well-appreciated as always. Granted, I felt this chapter kind of stagnated, but ah well. Also, while some of these are obvious, I have a tendency to write in shoutouts to pop culture and music. If any of you can guess them… well, I don't have any prizes. :P**


	6. Under The Big Bright Yellow Sun

**Reunion 6: Day 2 – Finale: Under the Big Bright Yellow Sun**

**This was part of the initial Chapter 5, but I felt it was best off as its own little chapter.**

**UPDATED APRIL 6TH**

**Day 2, 7:00PM**

As the three left the sea for the last time, the sunset was pouring over the beach, painting the landscape in a hue of orange lights. The sea was decorated with glimmering orange hues, while the land was coated in orange. A perfect romantic atmosphere, and indeed, Teddie noted that. He grinned and began to run off for some reason, leaving Kanji and Naoto to themselves.

Kanji's black beady eyes soon found themselves drifting towards Naoto's own piercing dark eyes. Naoto also let her eyes rotate back to Kanji, and stared at him with unassuming neutrality. Their eyes were connected like magnets.

"I really enjoyed that, Kanji-kun," smiled Naoto. Initially, Kanji's eyes seemed to drop out, but he then relaxed his face and let a smile form across it. If only Kanji had looked to the left of her feet, then he would have noticed the waves flowing past them.

Then to take him by surprise, her arm ducked down beneath the water, and then pushed forward at Kanji, causing a spray of water to slap him on the chest. Kanji almost lost his footing at the surprise attack, and appeared gobsmacked. She chuckled to herself, and then with a little kick, she splashed more water onto Kanji. The silvery spray flashed in the orange light briefly before it faded on impact with Kanji's skin, the warning whistle to another small barrage of water hitting his chest.

Kanji grinned and started laughing. His back bent down, then with a small flex of his fists, his muscular arms tightened up and he scooped up a volley of water, which splashed onto Naoto with full force. The water hit Naoto, who gasped in surprise, completely covering her in water, leaving her entire body wet and soaked, even more than the water did.

Her slender arms and legs, covered in sprinkles of saltwater, seemed to sparkle underneath the orange sun. The boy had looked down at the sea to splash some more at Naoto, and vice-versa, but when Kanji let his eyes fall on Naoto again, he was stunned. She didn't look like anything else he'd ever seen before.

She stood there, completely and utterly vulnerable. The orange sunlight poured over her, an her arms were lax, her eyes wide and rather adorable. Her smooth, milky porcelain skin only seemed to be highlighted, mixing well with her own dark hair. Kanji couldn't take his eyes off her.

Her lips slowly parted in confusion, and coupled with her wide eyes, only served to make Kanji's knees jelly. The sight of her was almost ethereal; the orange light bathing around her gave her an aura, or only enhanced it for him.

He didn't let his eyes peel once from hers, like hell he was going to blow this moment!

The two got closer and closer, the boundaries of their personal space breaking slowly, surely… Kanji gulped and eased his eyes, his face so red it was almost burning his entire body, while Naoto turned her shoulder slightly, almost as if she was unsure whenever she wanted to follow up or she wanted to run.

Kanji's arms lifted, his eyes unable to part from Naoto's. The detective, perhaps realizing she couldn't turn away even if she wanted to, let herself face Kanji, her shoulders slacked and her body almost shaking. Not a very professional stance for the Detective Prince. The connections between the two were like two magnets, unable to part from one another, but not fighting back.

It was even worse for the poor guy that Naoto, completely engrossed, tilted her head in an ambiguous gesture. Her eyebrows had lifted slightly, the ends at her eyes eased up, which only helped to print a wonderful expression on her face. Her parted lips, her slightly closed, nervous, fascinated eyes, Naoto was so adorable! Kanji could hear himself begin to choke, his legs were unable to move, his knees were buckling. He couldn't do anything but keep watching Naoto, the orange light bathing them for what seemed like forever….

However, their moment came crashing down when a familiar high-pitched voice intruded, singing a familiar song that came from some old 1980's movie. Teddie moved his head next to the two, a big grin layered upon his face as he sung the love song, the lyrics rather fitting for such an occasion.

"_You say that I love him, __But I love you more~ __You and I in, Sunset Beach~"_

The atmosphere now completely broken thanks to the bear, Kanji could hear what sounded like glass shattering in the center of his mind as he reconfigured into reality, and he looked down to see Naoto staring holes into him, mouth open wide and confused at what had just happened. Usually he would have just backed away, but his arms were forward… his hands were on her small shoulders. If he had pulled her in, Kanji's cheeks began to almost burn as he thought….

His arms were about to hold Naoto, the girl of his dreams, whom he had crushed on for the last two years. Just one small move was needed to erase the distance between each other. He quickly let go and took at least three major steps backwards, putting distance between him and the girl. He had been close to her before numerous times, but in a situation so intimate, it was… too much for his vocabulary to describe.

Kanji's throat almost seemed to close up on itself, preventing him from saying anything, probably for the best though. He scratched his hair, raking his brains to try and save the moment, his eyes hovered past the sand, before he looked up at Naoto awkwardly, looking like a deer in headlights.

"… S'ppose you liked ta sunset?"

After glancing at Kanji for a bit, Naoto only shook her head, and with a turn of her foot, showed her back to Kanji. She clutched her arms and shivered to herself, and began to walk back to her belongings alone, leaving the man in the awkward silence.

The two didn't speak, instead leaving Teddie to, once again, be the one to enjoy the silence. He arched an eyebrow in wonder, maybe there was something more going on between them. He only thought he would provide music to their moment, but it seemed to turn them off. What a shame! They certainly did have a natural chemistry to score with each other, so he felt. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Teddie's head, and he smiled rather cheekily.

'_Maybe while I score, I can help Kanji-kun and Nao-chan score as well! With each other! That's perfect! The two will gel like bears and honey!'_

The two shuffled forward, their faces red enough to boil eggs on them, still giving the silent treatment to each other. Naoto because she had dented her pride by letting Kanji closer than she would have liked, and letting him actually _hold_ her, and Kanji because, well, he finally had the girl he crushed on close to him. Well, close to him while wearing masculine swimming clothes. And she _liked swimming with him_.

After giving Naoto some privacy to get changed, Kanji had put his shirt and sandals back on, and looked around the tree, his lips pulled back as he watched Naoto methodically wipe sand off the soles of her feet. The corners of her mouth were tucked in, hiding in her lips, her fingers trying to pluck the tiny grain off the smooth skin with precision. She must have had a lot of practice with her fingers, what with sorting out evidence. He didn't know how he'd talk to her now, what with their 'moment in the sun'. Hell, when he tasted iron on his tongue, he paused and groaned. _Another_ nosebleed….

He groaned again, much louder this time. That caught Naoto's attention.

"What is it?" she said, finally getting her foot through her shoe. She didn't sound too happy.

Kanji tried to speak, but nerves struck before he could even use the first word. "Nuthin'."

"Okay, then." Kanji turned his head away and bit his lip. She sure seemed eager not to talk.

As they went back into town through the late afternoon bus, while Kanji just sat there, blushing and trying to nudge his head away, looking rather embarrassed over what had just happened. Teddie had fallen asleep, snoring aloud something about 'honey' and 'sewing dolls' and '_seiza_' and smiling quite mischievously over his dream too. The silence did not chew into any of their tired psyches, but certain visions still penetrated into Kanji's eye, being burned in there like a permanent photo.

If he squeezed his eyes shut, he could see Naoto standing there on the beach, her bare feet pressed on the wet sand, her small shoulders lax, her lips parted, and her wide eyes looking at him with wonder, while the orange light bathed around her, making her seem almost heavenly to Kanji. She looked like the one for him. She looked so positively _cute_ that he could never capture it in a plush. Kanji audibly grunted remembering what happened, and pressed his back onto the seat to try and not recount it over and over again.

'Think no Naoto thoughts, think no Naoto thoughts, think no Naoto thoughts,' he tried to tell himself. The mental image of Yu, Yosuke and Teddie shaking their rumps to the beat of club music immediately made him tighten up, it was a nice mental image for sure: 'AW NO!' he mentally shouted. But the worst was yet to come. In Kanji's mental image, Naoto herself, dressed in her androgynous wear, arrived and moved to the center, and then she began shaking her bottom alongside the boys in a coordinated dance routine. Kanji could hear himself scream like a girl at that, as much as he strangely enjoyed it.

He planted his forehead on the seat in front of him, and moaned, trying to twist his head away as to avoid being seen blushing. This was just so embarrassing, seeing Naoto at her cutest… if his crush on the crossdressing girl could be sized up, it would be as big as Jupiter now. If he thought it was planet-sized before… ho boy.

He didn't notice Naoto sat in that focused position she always did, but in a posture very much unlike her, her lips were crossed into a slightly wide smile. Had he bothered to talk to her instead of moaning about his luck, he just may have heard a much happier Naoto, even if she tried to keep her professional attitude and over-developed pride intact.

Naoto actually felt happy for once, uplifted even. She had enjoyed today, even if it began with a few awkward sentences and having to see that nightmare of a swimsuit. Her shoed foot clicked on the bus floor, and she tilted the brim of her cap to shield her eyes from the last blades of orange sun. A smile was on her lips. And when she had turned to Kanji to see how he was doing, she saw him headbutting the seat in front of him. Maybe he had a headache. Even with the events of today, she had seen a gentler side to Kanji.

She would like to see more of that Kanji, but he was always a tough guy on the outside. So macho, like he was some comic book character. She had wished they didn't get so close, Naoto loved her privacy and personal space, and they came close to breaching each other's space. Even she didn't understand why she let down her guard like she did: maybe it was just the moment? In her eyes, Kanji had looked a lot gentler, caring, like he was looking at her as if she was someone he needed to protect. She was rather curious to that side, if annoyed at the idea of being seen as a woman to protect, but, before it could get started, Teddie had sung, she woke up from her semi-trance to see Kanji touching her on the shoulders.

Was it an innocent gesture? She wasn't sure, Kanji was definitely someone you could trust. But she didn't want to take the risk of letting someone into her space. He was nice when he wasn't being super manly, and really quite gentle when you got to know him, but she just wasn't sure.

Not thinking about it was probably for the best, she felt.

Satisfied, Naoto leaned back on the seat. She really did find herself having so much fun. It was nice to let go and enjoy yourself once in a while, after all!

**Poor Kanji. Poor, poor Kanji. Again, he ends up getting screwed over when all he wanted was a romantic moment. :P**

**Also, I had a scene at the end that might be too suggestive/out-of-character, so I took it out of the chapter. I might put it up down the line, do you guys want to see it?**


	7. Interlude: Naoto, Mystic Eyes

**Reunion Interlude: Naoto: Mystic Eyes**

**Thank you all who reviewed!**

**I know it's early in the story, but I thought this may be important down the line, so I've decided to make an 'interlude' detailing a bit of Yu and Naoto's past relationship. Enjoy, anyways!**

_**Let us go back, to a previous night~**_

**Day 1, 10:00PM**

Today had been a good day so far, so Naoto Shirogane felt. Having been reunited with her old friends Kanji Tatsumi and Teddie, she hadn't regretted finding herself back in the place that she considered to be her second home, Inaba. She had greatly enjoyed the sights and sounds of the place with her fondest memories, but even then, for so many good memories, there were some… less-than-pleasant memories, to say the least. There were the tragic deaths of those who fell to the Midnight Channel, and then, there was the entire incident with Taro Namatame and Tohru Adachi... and even nearly dying in the hands of a Shinto god, Izanami.

She shook herself out of these thoughts, life was to be enjoyed. Even if she had her life set out, being a detective gave her meaning, and she was going to be the best Shirogane detective she ever could be, no matter what happens. Her gender was not a barrier anymore. Although she still felt it was best to continue being a boy for the police, not to mention she felt more comfortable in boy's clothes and as an androgynous person than as a complete girly girl.

Naoto had walked over to the small house that she was staying for the week, after waving Kanji and Teddie goodbye at Junes, their old meeting spot. She fished the key out of her pocket, and entered. After taking off her shoes, the first thing she did was to put her clothes into the cupboard, and make sure the entire place was clean. Her grandfather had done this for her, and she was going to make sure nobody would destroy this!

She walked around and checked each room. The house itself was constructed as more of a Western style house than a Japanese household: it had mainly been rented out to outsiders who had found themselves in Inaba before. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and a small balcony in the back. While it wasn't exactly spacious, at least it wasn't a cramped apartment. Then again, Naoto wasn't one to care much about her temporary residence, as long as it was clean, efficient and had a roof over her head, she was fine with it.

When she moved back into the bedroom, she looked at the bed before her, and shrugged her small shoulders. She quietly removed her clothes, taking off the padding she used to give her shoulders a more masculine appearance, then her chest began to expand and round off when she took the bandages suppressing her chest. She sighed in relief, feeling her chest finally able to let itself go from the uncomfortable binding. The girl slipped into her masculine pajamas, and she then went under the covers.

When Naoto had settled in that night, she soon tucked herself into bed with a good detective novel, and quickly got stuck into the tightly written book. Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and soon, they were about to close. She didn't fight against the growing need to sleep, and after slipping a bookmark into it, she gently placed the book down, and let her eyes close to drift into a deep sleep.

She didn't know how long had passed, but a familiar voice began to ring in her head. "Shirogane-san. Shirogane-san. Have you fallen asleep, Shirogane-san?"

The next thing she knew, her eyes snapped open to see the familiar face of Yu Narukami, sitting on the bench of the Samegawa River. Taken by complete surprise, Naoto almost reeled back in surprise, but he gave her a small smile in response. Taken by this, Naoto let her head fall, mostly so her cap could hide her blushing expression. "I… I was only thinking about the situation at hand, Narukami-senpai."

"Perhaps being sound asleep is thinking about the situation, Shirogane-san?" Yu said in a completely deadpan tone, but in that way that Naoto could tell he was joking. Naoto shook her head, and adjusted herself so she was sitting straight up tall. She tried not to make eye contact with Yu, and when she felt her cheek with the palm of her hand, she could feel the heat radiating from her face.

"Is your silence your answer?" he said again.

"No!" the vehement denial caused her voice to go a pitch higher. She suddenly went wide eyed in shock, and then coughed to adjust her throat, "No…" she said in her familiar low voice. Her heart felt like it was pounding more and more as he spoke to her. She thought herself a professional, yet the way he talked and acted, made her only feel more and more like a shrinking violet in his presence. It drove her insane! Why did _he_ make her feel this way?

She regained her bearings, and soon looked him dead in the eye. Her dark eyes fixated on his thoughtful, grey, beautiful, cold yet warm eyes, his eyebrows hidden by his hair, which, combined with his expert command of his eyes, lips and mastery of the poker face, made his expression harder to read. His hands were linked together, and he was pointing at the next letter from the Phantom Thief.

"Well, I believe the Phantom Thief has left another clue for us. I think we'll be able to find him soon, and then catch him in the act."

She nodded. Yu had really helped her when it came to the 'Case of the Phantom Thief', and she was ever grateful for his assistance. But while they went around solving the case, Naoto found herself even more interested in the city boy then she used to be. There was something aloof about him at first, he seemed way too unflappable and undeterred by anything. She had made mistakes, some she would never be able to let down for the rest of her life, but Yu was the type of person who could shatter through each barrier, and still keep going. He was a natural leader.

And while she was never one to use crude, casual language to refer to someone's physical appearance, he was a very handsome man. His face had an adult smoothness to it, with high cheekbones and a masculine, yet thin jawline. His face wasn't too long, nor was it too round. But it was his eyes that captured her attention. The curtains matched the window, as the bangs from his gray bowlcut flowered down over his eyebrows, serving only to highlight those charismatic eyes. Naoto was a master at studying facial expressions and eye cues, but no matter how hard she stared, she could never truly deduct what was going on in that mind of his.

Yu tilted himself forward, widening his eyes slightly as if to catch her by surprise, "Shirogane-san…" a slightly cat-like, teasing smile crossed through those lips of his, "you seem awfully quiet today, more than usual at that."

Caught offguard, Naoto stayed silent, while her cheeks flushed. "Um… er…" she looked around, using her cap to hide her own embarrassed expression, "I am sorry, Narukami-senpei."

A small laugh came from the boy. "No need. You're probably thinking of something much more important anyways," he grinned, unable to prevent a little teasing it seemed.

As if the moment was right for it, she giggled too, letting the corners of her mouth tuck into a cute little smile. He was right in a way, then again, all she had really been thinking about was the cases. Given what he had said, her own thoughts were starting to focus more and more on the mysterious city boy, who, for all his oddities, made her want to unravel him and understand the true person that was Yu Narukami.

But no matter, she just couldn't get him. Maybe it was his charisma, that flowing, heroic willpower and charisma that inspired everyone around him. Maybe it was just because of his unflappable personality.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when Yu stood up, holding the evidence in his hand. He began to walk towards the stairs, "It's time to start. Are you ready to crack the case, Detective Shirogane-san?"

Damn him, he really was feeling playful today! She frowned audibly, not amused by the little tease, and shook her head, "I wouldn't treat this in such a carefree manner, Narukami-senpai. But yes, let us go solve this case."

However, before she could get out of the seat and begin walking alongside him, he was already halfway. Yu turned his head slightly over to Naoto with a stoic gaze at first, but then smiled softly at Naoto, and then spun his whole head over to her, so she could see his full expression. She thought he looked absolutely wonderful with a smile on his face.

"Well, are you coming, Shirogane-san?"

Naoto was taken aback at first, even pulling her head back slightly, but then nodded.

Satisfied, Yu softly turned his back to her and began to walk up the stairs. As Yu turned to leave, Naoto stood up, and, making sure he couldn't see her, she slowly raised her arm up with her hand spread out. She then put it to her face, while her eyes looked at the ground, furrowed in a withdrawn gaze. Her fingers felt the heat form on her cheeks, blazing red… she couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't deny it anymore.

She was in love with Yu Narukami, that much was true. He had sneaked in beneath the disguise, and taken her heart. But, she didn't know how he felt about her. And that much scared her….

_The memories faded at that point…._

Naoto's eyes shot wide open to see the dark ceiling above her. Her vision was fuzzy, but it soon adjusted to reveal the ceiling light. She sharply glanced left-and-right to see where she was, and looking down to see only her feet covered by the blankets.

Her slender hand slapped herself on the forehead, her fingers kneaded the area to try and cleanse her head out of those embarrassing thoughts, to some success. She groaned, and looked up at the ceiling, gazing while she compelled what she had just seen.

She had a dream about _him_. She planted her palm onto her face, feeling utterly ridiculous about it. Her first crush, Yu Narukami, the man whom she almost poured her heart to. She should have seen it coming, by going back to Inaba, it was sure to awaken old memories, both good and bad, but she was glad that she didn't remember the confrontation with the Thief himself… because what happened then was something that left her heartbroken.

She had no regrets about the time she spent with Yu. But she only wished she was able to make her feelings clearer to him. Maybe then, he would have loved her back.

"Foolish," she told herself, "a Shirogane must not get hung up on those kinds of thoughts."

Naoto let herself calm down (by reminiscing about the hardboiled detectives that inspired her in the first place), and slowly fell asleep. Her eyelids closed for the last time that night, and there were no more dreams of that boy with the mystic eyes.

**Oh, so something **_**did**_** happen! While I haven't really gone through the game myself, I have watched the full anime, and I find that my impression of Yu/Souji was similar to the anime's. He's a quiet, stoic guy, but he's a nice guy who has his priorities sorted out straight, even if he has his own issues. He also learns to open up more. While I'm trying to stick to the anime characterization of Yu, do note that considering he's a vessel for the player in the original game, he might start to differ if I write more scenes with him in.**

**The short chapter was mostly to say sorry for my late update.**


	8. Looking At a Photograph

**Reunion 7: Looking At A Photograph**

**Goddamnit all. I had a half-written chapter, when the file corrupted. There was quite a lot, but, being the optimist I am, I decided I'll write it to be different. :D Enjoy!**

**Day 3, July 17****th****, 2013**

**6:30AM**

All seemed quiet in the homely neighborhood of Inaba. The birds sang in the early summer haze, combining their song together for the listening pleasure of those who set up shop early. But there was one particular person who enjoyed the song, for it reminded him of how lucky he was to experience such a wonderful place. That certain someone was rolling around, a large, rotund lump in the bedsheets, moaning and groaning as he spun around on the bed.

Eventually, he rolled close enough to the edge, and he yelped in surprise a second before crashing onto the floor below. The bear, whose colorful design clashed with the white bedsheets, popped out from a small opening and looked around. He looked like he was raveled in a cocoon, until he quickly jumped onto his feet and lifted the bedsheet back onto the bed, his eyes glazed and half-open.

"Last time I sleep in my bear suit," he mumbled semi-coherently. Still feeling tired, to shake off the grips of sleep from his psyche, Teddie felt a grumble in the midst of his belly, soon climbing up to his throat. The bear then let out a tremendous yawn, which, in all honesty, sounded more like a bear's roar, loud enough to rattle the windows in the bedroom and shake things up a little. Once he had gotten that out though….

His eyes shot wide open, glowing with his familiar energy that kept him going through the worst of times. Teddie soon jumped out from bed and waddled down to the lounge room, smiling like he always did, and quickly got to work setting out his day. "But all good bears must have their bear-fast first!" he told himself, and soon got to work in the kitchen, even wearing an apron similar to what Yosuke wore at work.

Luckily, one of the first things Yosuke did when the Hanamuras took in Teddie was to teach him how to use the rice cooker, without burning the entire house down. A few minutes later, he had a bowl of hot rice, ready to consume, and consumed he did. Well, it was more like shoveling the white grains into his gaping mouth, pushing and pulling his costume's hands with the chopsticks until he got everything in there.

After finishing his breakfast, Teddie texted Kanji and Naoto with a place to meet, the Junes food court (of course), and sat back to watch some morning TV. Teddie watched the images flicker through the HDTV innocently, from the morning magical girl anime to the drone of the morning news, but soon grew bored and yawned. Even in the far off year of 2013, morning TV was still ever boring, unless you had cable. And it wasn't like he could brag about the HDTV in the lounge room anymore, since now everyone and their mothers had HDTV (except the Dojimas for some reason). Hell, he remembered the first time Yosuke bragged about his HDTV just to push Chie's buttons… to say she used him as her new kicking bag was putting it lightly.

But he had enough of watching TV. He did live in them, and only the incredibly hammy commercials were worth watching most of the time. The childlike bear got up to his feet, switched everything off, and walked up to the door, ready to leave, when a book caught the corner of his eye. He turned around and he spotted the open photo album on the table, a leathery thing with large, glossy pages. Teddie had bought it for himself after Yu had suggested he find a way to 'store all the memories', and to Teddie, it was one of his most prized possessions.

Teddie felt nostalgia wash over him, and he couldn't help but let himself fall to his bottom, and start going through the photos. There was a photo with Rise pulling up Naoto's snow suit with a smirk on her face, ready to stuff a snowball underneath, while Naoto read a book in blissful ignorance. Many laughs were to be had at Naoto's loud (and rather feminine) shouts of surprise, and even now, Teddie chuckled.

He turned the page. There was another photo with Chie and Kanji sparring at the Samegawa during summer last year. The tomboy had a wide grin on her face, throwing a kick towards Kanji with all her strength. A serious Kanji had his arm out to block the kick, holding his own from Chie's kung fu expertise, hell, he can remember what happened next. Kanji had slipped on the riverbank, and he fell back onto the river, causing Chie to fall on top of him. Their reactions were just priceless!

Another page flipped. Then there, he saw a picture that made him stop right where he was, and take in the mixed feelings of nostalgia, joy and yearning that took him, every time he saw this particular picture.

It was taken during the winter of 2012, after Nanako had recovered from her illness, and Adachi had been defeated. The entire Investigation Team had grouped together to take a photo together outside, and it was probably his favorite photograph in the entire album.

There was Yu standing in the center, smiling slightly, his hands on Nanako's shoulders. Nanako was smiling delightfully, while Yosuke was on Yu's left, giving the thumbs up. Chie was also crouched to Yosuke's knee level, chewing on a steak skewer, with that toothy grin on hers. Kanji was standing tall at the back with a slight smirk, with Naoto standing near him, also smiling faintly. The two had a real height difference, indeed.

He giggled, oh, how joyful it would be for those two to get together. But, what made him pause was when he focused on the girl to Yu's right. Her silky, smooth black hair, held back by a red headband. Her tall, slender frame, stood up in an elegant stance, a smooth, cold smile printed on her face, red lips decorated her mouth, with slightly narrow black eyes that, while cold and piercing, portrayed an inner kindness and humor. He loved the way she laughed like a hyena at the smallest things, even if his jokes never managed to amuse her very much, for instance.

She was Yukiko Amagi. The heiress to the Amagi inn, and owner of the Persona Amaterasu. And while Teddie never told anyone, he always preferred Yukiko in terms of appearance, and if he were to mark a chart, then Yukiko would be on top, easily. Chie was quite beautiful when she wanted to be, but she was too sporty for Teddie's liking: even if being a tomboy was rather cute too. Rise was also very cute, and he did like her a lot, but she just wasn't his type. Something about the pigtails and thigh highs reminded him of a character he once saw on TV. Naoto was also a cutie, whenever she showed weakness or vulnerability for instance, but she was a bit too masculine at times (Teddie liked his feminity in his hunnies), and she was Kanji's.

Yosuke had said a few times, "Can Shadows get feelings like love?" out loud. Teddie didn't know much about the love game, but he did watch movies and TV dramas, and he had taken the sagely advice of Yosuke Hanamura (who told him a great deal of ways to treat girls), so he did know some things… but no matter what he tried, it never seemed to work with the girls, except for old hags and ladies who worked in Junes. He always wondered, he had developed his body to appeal to the 'bishonen' feminine boy fetish many Japanese women had, and he thought it was normal to boast about 'scoring'. Was he doing something wrong? He liked to flirt with Chie, Rise, Naoto and others, but it was only recently that Teddie had sorted out his feelings, and decided.

He would never tell a soul, but, he liked Yukiko. The traditional girl would be the one for him.

Teddie's cheeks began to glow red thinking of the heiress, and he flipped the book to a close, letting the lid fall over the pages. He stood up and began to make the short walk to Junes, ready to start another day with Kanji and Naoto. Hopefully something between those two would kick off after that moment in the sunset, if not, well, he would start something with Yuki-chan!

**Day 3, 9:00AM**

As Teddie arrived at the sacred Junes food court, the Junes melody echoed in his ear, as the P.A. system blasted it out loud. He spotted some housewives gossiping, some people having quick breakfasts, which, by Junes standards, meant cheap, stale and usually nasty (mostly when Yosuke had to cook it). Thinking about breakfast made him think of the absolutely delicious breakfast Kanji had cooked up once, it turned out he knew not only to sew, but to cook. Kanji was not only a man's man, but a woman's man too! He was a man of taste! Literally!

Teddie personally felt his cooking was almost on Sensei's league, but no one could cook like Sensei. But that flicked a light bulb in the bear's head, and his eyes widened with glee while his mind wrote up an idea (which he stored among the fantasy images of scoring). "Maybe that should wait though. Kanji-kun and Nao-chan need to get much closer," he muttered to himself, scratching the side of his round face.

Teddie was snapped out of his stupor from the metallic grind of a chair's foot against pavement. A smile grew larger on his round features when he looked up, to see Naoto in the process of sitting down. "Nao-chan!" he chirped enthusiastically.

Naoto replied with a small nod, not showing much emotion on her face. Teddie put his hand to his mouth, perhaps the events from yesterday were still fresh in her mind. He had loved it, he always wanted to be a wedding singer. Maybe if Kanji and Naoto got married, he could sing! Yosuke could be on guitar, Chie would be bass, Yukiko would be keyboards, and he'd play the drums and sing.

"Are you alright, Nao-chan?" asked Teddie.

"I am fine. I need not to be fretted over," replied Naoto, who crossed her arms and looked out at the entrance. Teddie nodded slowly. Maybe she was waiting for Kanji, like a loyal wife waited for her loved one!

It didn't take too long. Next minute, there was Kanji. He came ripping down to the food court, holding a bottle in his hands, his face red, his body shaking, it looked like he had ran all the way from his house to the food court. He eventually came to the table, and with a tired pull, he took a seat and sat down, gasping for air. The two stared at him, raising eyebrows at Kanji's state.

Kanji glared back. "What? S'pose cheap alarm clocks can screw up," he said, threat written over his voice, then he locked eyes with Naoto.

He stared at her for a few seconds, and she even responded with a small nod, her dark eyes growing larger, the perimeter expanding… then, he pulled his eyes away, and she did so too. Their cheeks seemed to glow a little red, and Kanji even pulled his head up a little, eyes trying to avoid locking back onto the girl's penetrating dark eyes. To Teddie's amusement, the moment Kanji looked away, Naoto snuck another glance at him, her eyebrows visibly knitted together bashfully.

It was there that Teddie decided, if he wasn't going to get things going, then he might as well speak up.

"Kanji-kun, you should speak to Nao-chan! You were never like this last summer with Chie-chan!" the bear said, grinning at Kanji's sudden jaw drop. He then looked over to Naoto, "The two got on rather well~" Teddie winked at Naoto when he said that, eagerly awaited the reaction.

"WHAT!" shouted Kanji at the top of his lungs. If looks could kill, then the bulging, enraged stare that Kanji shot right at Teddie would have extinguished him out of existence. His fingers gripped at the table, and his cheeks were red from both rage and embarrassment, especially when he looked over at Naoto's expression.

The androgynous girl didn't have even the smallest reaction printed on her face. If it was, she skillfully tilted her cap over her face, Kanji knew she was good at masking her facial expressions, which was a departure from how she could be when the mask cracked, and revealed that soft side he loved so much. It was sort of relieving. Maybe she didn't buy it, and….

"Interesting. So Kanji-kun has already been in a relationship, and with Satonaka-senpai at that."

That killed any good mood he could have had right there.

Kanji barely resisted the urge to punch in that smiling bear's face off right there, settling for shaking in his seat from both anger and nerves. He looked down at his drink, then over at the girl in front of him. While he didn't show it, with it being mixed in with a ton of rage, he actually started to feel a little worried about Naoto's reaction. She seemed way too calm about this, and was never the one to go into relationships or mix in with them. Was she not interested in him? Was what happened last night at the beach just one big cocktease? He wanted to bury his face in his hands, to hide himself away from Naoto. Then he'd kill that bear.

"I-I never dated Chie-senpai! Th-That stupid bear's lyin' his ass off!" yelled a flustered Kanji, his thuggish eyes now wide and more like a child caught red-handed, he held in his lower lip, frozen by the stare Naoto was giving him, "I mean, err, yeah, I s'ppose me and Chie-senpai hung out a lot after you lef-"

"You and Chie-chan did get along bear-y well though!" said Teddie, smiling away. He really wasn't helping the discussion, nor Kanji's defense, was this some big joke to him? "I remember it like it was yesterday~ you were the emperor to her chariot~"

He slammed his fist on the table, and gyrated from his seat, ready to pounce on the round teddy bear, "Goddamnit Teddie!" Kanji roared. As his temper flared, chairs started to turn, and while Kanji was indeed getting _really_ pissed, pissed enough to ignore logic so he could throttle Teddie through the wall, it wouldn't suit Naoto's day if he ended up causing a ruckus. Kanji paused.

While he got people to understand him more, there was always the odd cop who was going to give him a glare or two, because they could never see underneath the piercings and see Kanji for who he was. So, the young man lowered his stance, letting his head fall close to his forearms, still shaking in rage. Now he hoped he really didn't screw up in front of Naoto.

"So me and Chie-senpai hung out a lot the summer after Yu-senpai left an' all. And whe' ya left, too," he explained as calmly as possible. Kanji looked up to Naoto, his body language starting to ease up. His voice was rather quiet, but still had his slurred speech patterns.

The girl nodded slightly, acknowledging what he said, "Yes. I left a few weeks after Narukami-senpai, to my new school."

"Uh-huh." Kanji sighed, and then continued, "Chie-senpai, I think she's real fun, she's a cool chick 'n' all, as long as ya ain't Yosuke. We worked, we did stuff, for one we exercised a lot together-"

"In more than one way!" giggled Teddie, causing Kanji to burn red enough to heat up a house. Even Naoto felt pink on her cheeks from his lewd remark.

Kanji immediately slammed both closed fists onto the table, shaking the entire table down to the foundations, causing the drink cups and their eating utensils to jump. "I said SHUT UP!" his testosterone-fueled voice yelled right at Teddie, who even backed off slightly, his pupils shrank back with fear from Kanji's sudden aggressiveness. The young man stared angrily at Teddie, keeping his glare at the bear, who just resorted to smiling away.

"But it ain't what Ted's sayin'! We're just friends! I ain't even interested in her! Nuh-uh!" Kanji looked over at Naoto while he said this, and she responded by raising her eyebrows. Then she tilted her head up at a shadow hovering over the table.

"Oh, so who's not interested in me?"

Kanji's entire face went pale, his muscles stiffened where he sat, and his expression blanked out. '_Oh shit._'

While Kanji sat there on the verge of flipping out, Naoto looked up, and a smile formed on her face, "Oh, hello there, Satonaka-senpai."

"Naoto-kun!"

The shaded figure stepped forward up to Naoto, grinning at the androgynous girl. It was a young woman, her short, yet athletic figure clad in a police uniform, light brown hair cut into a bobcut. Her black shoes clicked against the pavement, and her posture indicated her pride. She was Chie Satonaka, one of the first members of the Investigation Team, police officer-in-training, and kung fu expert/Bruce Lee fangirl.

She put her hand on Naoto's shoulder enthusiastically, "I haven't seen you for a year! How're you doing, your cases going well?"

Naoto nodded softly, and shrugged her shoulders, looking rather glad to see a familiar face. "I have been doing rather well. I hope the same goes for your training?"

"Ah, Dojima-san's doing a great job with me," she then paused, winced, and rolled her arm to get some blood going to the shoulder, "he works me to the bone, but he's really good at what he does. I can't wait to serve!"

"Well, Dojima-san always was one of the brighter bulbs in the Inaba police," Naoto agreed, even though they did have their disagreements. Her expression was getting lighter, which made Kanji pause a little, "have you heard from the others?"

Chie nodded happily, while still revolving her shoulder, "Yeah. Yukiko's been really busy, but the inn is doing great. They're really getting over the stigma, but it'll never be totally whitewashed. That Adachi bastard…"

Luckily, Teddie ducked out of the way, and hid beneath the table, so nobody noticed the red that decorated his cheeks like a light show. To hear Yuki-chan was doing so well really made his heart lift though, maybe this week was the week to give it his all.

Teddie rose up as Chie went on, "Yosuke's gone to Port Island for a few weeks."

"So I heard," replied Naoto. However, Chie's cheeks began to expand, and she closed her mouth, while her eyelids crinkled. Naoto arched an eyebrow in confusion, but then, Chie decided not to hold it in, and she began laughing over something.

"I got a strange text message meant for this person called 'Takeba'. He wrote it really well, it's as if he was asking her for a date! It was all," Chie then put on an impersonation of Yosuke, but while her voice was unable to replicate a male's vocal patterns, she put on a funny accent imitating one of those romantic heroes, while she swayed her arms and posed, "'Hey, Takeba-san. I was wondering if you'd like to go see the fireworks together, and go get something to eat as well. If you don't want to, that's okay, but I think it could be really fun. Yours truly, Hanamura-kun."

That was the joke that broke the once icy mood. The entire table was filled with the sound of laughter, as Kanji, Chie and Teddie exploded into guffaws. Even Naoto chuckled. The sound of their laughter radiated through the table. Kanji grinned, Chie slapped the table, and Teddie put his hands over his mouth, trying to stop himself from laughing too hard.

They ceased their laughter, as the officer-in-training then turned over to Teddie, and grinned menacingly and with malice towards the bear. The bear actually seemed to shrink back in fear over the hot tempered, spiky young woman, and shook his head, his expression just pleading for mercy. "But there's another subject we gotta talk about. So what did I hear about me and Kanji-kun 'dating'?"

"N-n-nothing! But…" to try and level the playing field, he unzipped his bear suit, revealing the cutesy boy underneath, and swept back his hair with a tilt of his head, eyes gleaming brightly and with a perverse energy. Sparkles flew everywhere. "It was to relax the mood, my honey~"

The look of mortification Chie gave the prankster bear could have poisoned the entire food court. She then bit her lip, closed her eyes, let her eyebrows twitch… then suddenly, her head shot forward, "_Don't spread lies like that!_" the furious roar from Chie caused Teddie to shriek and zip himself back into his suit, as this set Chie off into one of her rants, this time one-sided.

While Chie ripped into Teddie, who cowered away in his suit as if it served as a defense for Chie's high-volume vocal volleys, Naoto turned over to Kanji, staring deep into his black eyes. She put her fingers together and placed her elbows on the table, like she was going to listen to him.

"Kanji-kun," she said in a blank tone.

"Naoto," Kanji couldn't help it, it felt natural for the occasion. Although why he also had the same deadpan tone, he didn't know.

She crossed her fingers further, and lifted herself up, an interested gleam in her eye, "I want to know the whole story between you and Satonaka-senpai. None of Teddie's funny business, just how it was for both of you."

A breath hitched in Kanji's throat, and he almost started choking. His face felt like it was going to melt now, "Oh, er, the story, huh. Me and Chie-senpai, well… it's kinda long story. Um, s'guess I can explain it."

Naoto arched an eyebrow, looking as nonchalant as she could. The serious and unrepentant detective looked over to the tomboy still yelling at the bear, of course, now she was calming down. Chie was like that, she could be easily set off by a single remark or jibe from Yosuke, but when the target wasn't yelling back, sometimes she would just cool off and relax. But, what got the detective was how Chie was around Kanji. The two acted like the friends they were, no other cues indicating a further relationship.

Naoto knew she was never good with her own feelings, which was a barrier she had set up from her past, but while Kanji was open (although his emotions mostly consisted of anger, embarrassment and stammering like an oaf) with his feelings, she herself closed herself off, so she couldn't be hurt. She had never seen Kanji as anything but a friend. His simpleton actions were rather charming, as annoying as they were sometimes, and she ignored when he became a bumbling mess around her. She was never one for romance or love. The last time her heart opened up to someone, well, it wasn't pleasant.

Her focus was still on Kanji, when Chie left Teddie alone and sat down next to Kanji, smiling. The police shirt she wore wrinkled a little at her movements, but she smoothed them out and looked at Naoto, nodding her head. "So, you want to hear what happened that summer or something?" a flush of pink fell on her cheeks, but then she seemed to shake it off, "Okay then, time to tell the story! Trial of the Dragon Part VI: Summer Nights in Inaba!"

Her energetic tone rubbed off on Kanji, who nodded his head, but still looked rather flustered. "Er, yeah, well…."

**Wanted to get on the road again, after what happened.**


	9. The Emperor and the Chariot

**Reunion 8: The Emperor and The Chariot**

_In this chapter… flashback time! Kanji likes tomboys, he still gets jittery talking to a girl, and he freaks out over dolls… and ankles._

**NOTE: From now on, I will be writing from the perspective of Kanji, with indication when a scene will flip to Naoto or Teddie's perspective. I say this because looking back, the writing was all over the place. And holy crap I actually updated this.**

* * *

><p><strong>July, 2012<strong>

**Streets of Inaba, 12:11PM**

"Man, I could sure go for some Chinese," muttered Kanji, half-heartedly. He paced down the small path, the heels of his shoes clicking against the stone, hands in his pockets. Although his posture was rather imbalanced and sloppy, his muscular arms, tall frame and menacing expression meant nobody was going to mess with him, so he just went on his way to his favorite restaurant, the meat bowl paradise that was the Aiya. There was nothing else to do, and he was hungry.

Maybe he'd try that challenge they were holding, he'd get a free meal… even if his Ma would kill him for gorging on Aiya again.

He entered Aiya, and felt a warm, soothing feeling inside of himself, smelling the fresh aroma of meat and stews cooking in the restaurant. He walked over to the stool, ready to sit down and order a bowl, when he noticed a familiar brown bobcut popping out of a wobbling bowl, while the owner of that bobcut rammed its face into the bowl, munching and trying to eat everything it could.

Suddenly, as if it could feel his presence, the carnivore stopped, and paused. Kanji blinked, and sat down on the stool when hungry brown eyes, the same shade as the cropped hair, pulled themselves away from the bowl and bored right into him with a ferocious glare… which then eased up into a friendly crinkle. The girl then cracked a wide smile, and chewed the meat in her mouth before swallowing and waving over to him.

"Kanji-kun!"

"Yo, Chie-senpai," he answered back, landing flatly on the stool. He quickly made his order, and parted his chopsticks, actually quite excited to eat. He clicked his chopsticks, and shoved them into the bowl, quickly scooping up meat. He began to eat, well, shove it into his mouth, in a way slightly less animalistic than Chie's, which wasn't saying much.

Chie kept ramming her face into the bowl, still gorging herself, while Kanji continued to shovel it down. Their munches and crunches spoke through the restaurant, and soon, they finished their meals, Chie patting her stomach and Kanji wiping the left over sauce from his mouth with the back of his hand.

There was something that he needed to do tomorrow, but he couldn't remember what exactly. Didn't he have to… damn it, he couldn't remember for the life of him.

All of a sudden, Chie stretched her arms out, her fingers locked together as she stretched, "M'waaaaaah~ man, it's good to get some meat down! It's protein, after all! That's what Master Akihiko said, anyways!"

Kanji turned a little red when he thought of Akihiko Sanada, that boxer who felt the need to go everywhere shirtless, and rant on about manliness… and asking guys to take their clothes off.

Trying to push thoughts of sexy shirtless men out of his mind, he looked over at Chie, and noticed her eyebrows lowered, her eyes downcast, "Too bad I've got nothing to do tomorrow. Man, I hate having days off! So boring! If only someone would help me train!"

Then, as he listened to Chie complain, Kanji remembered. His mother had wanted him to clean out the back room, as they had been stocking up on textiles, and with the raise in demand, this meant more materials. Unfortunately, more materials meant more boxes, and both mother and son knew that he couldn't do it alone. He glanced over at Chie, who was licking the sauce off her bowl.

No wonder the P-1 Grand Prix called her the 'Carnivore Who Discarded Womanhood'.

He hesitated for a bit, trying to think of what to say, then spoke up, "Yo, Chie-senpai… I gotta ask you a favor."

She stopped licking the bowl for a few seconds, staring up at him with wide eyes, "Huh?" she mumbled into the bowl, "What'cha want?"

His eyes drew down to the bench, as he considered how to ask her. Chie wasn't nearly as short-tempered as rumors said she was, in fact, she was actually pretty friendly if you didn't try to push her buttons every single time you talked to her. He thought of Yosuke, and he frowned. Screw that guy.

"We gotta bunch of boxes that need packin'. They're kinda heavy, so what I'm sayin' is, I need some help if we wanna get them out in time. If yer free tomorrow, maybe you could…" she tilted her head, and Kanji gulped, he usually didn't ask girls for favors, especially not the likes of Chie. They all knew about his sewing habits, but only Rise seemed to think they were weird. And that was because he didn't hear Chie or Yukiko's opinion.

Chie stared at him for a bit, then she nodded. Kanji's expression must have changed because she then let her face split into a wide smile.

"Sure! I consider it training!" her eyes glowed with an encouraging brightness, and her slightly muscular, if still feminine frame seemed to tighten up, "Give me a time, and I'm ready to go!"

Kanji nodded, and finished the rest of his meal, smiling slightly at the girl's readiness, "Cool, remember to come around 10: we'll pack the boxes in, then shove 'em into the back, clean the alley, and call it a day, k?"

She was the first one to nod her head, grinning all the while.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day, Tatsumi Textiles, 10:30AM<strong>

"Good morning~!" cried the familiar, spunky voice of one Chie Satonaka, alerting Kanji and Mrs. Tatsumi, both whom were working hard on textiles. Mrs. Tatsumi was working the front shop, while Kanji was sat in the back, working on another work of his. Chie's loud shout had caused Kanji to almost prick his finger with his sewing needle, causing him to slam the needle down on the floor in a fit of anger.

"Damnit!"

He bolted off his chair, and stomped over to the front, his angry expression falling into a wide eyed look of bewilderment when he spotted Chie, smiling and enthusiastic as ever. He scratched the back of his head, "Oh, yeah, Chie-senpai. Er, hi."

Mrs. Tatsumi turned her head over to her son, that small smile still on her face. "Kanji-chan, didn't you tell me that you invited Satonaka-chan over to help move the boxes?"

Chie nodded firmly, and Kanji continued to scratch his bleached hair, "Um, yeah…" he then pointed over to the back, and prompted Chie to follow him, "they're in the back. We gotta take them outside, then put them in the garbage, to make space, ya know."

"Sure thing! My master Akihiko told me that I must find even the smallest household chores to turn into a workout!" an enthusiastic Chie skipped behind Kanji with energetic bounds, not reducing her speed for an instance. Kanji wondered how she even found the energy to do the stuff she did, he sure couldn't see it in nobody else.

Once they got to the back, Chie immediately got to work, kicking boxes out into the back, then picking them up and dropping them in. She flexed those muscular legs of hers as she did so, and he watched those sculpted calves flex and turn with each kick, and he couldn't help but admire the tone, the shape and the strength inside that body of hers.

'_Wait, what, snap outta it!'_ Kanji told himself. He followed as well, pushing the boxes along with her. All the while, he couldn't help but admire her legs, but he snapped his attention away, not one to really care about the female anatomy unless it was for his textiles.

Soon, they had cleared up the boxes, and even got to work on the alleyway. They tested their strength and hoisted boxes out, not stopping until they carried out all the boxes. The result was that now, Kanji had a lot more space to put supplies in… although then it'd be filled up with MORE supplies come winter.

He glanced over at the last box inside the room, which contained leftover dolls. He had planned to scrap them, but seeing what he had made, he decided to keep it. It was a reminder of his talents, something to keep him going when his insecurities flared up.

Kanji moved to put the box away, when from the corner of his peripheral vision, he saw a shadow. He blanched in fear, especially since that shadow wasn't his mother. It was slightly curvy and leggy, the shape of a young female. Kanji bit his lip, what would that girl say? Would she laugh at him, mock him, tease him for being 'weird'?

While he was strong now, and wouldn't let other people's thoughts deter his path through life, being mocked for his dolls, especially by the opposite gender, still hurt really bad….

Gathering all the courage he had, he looked back to see… Chie, looking at his plush dolls with an interested expression printed across her face. Kanji froze on the spot, and as much as he wanted to just push her away so she didn't see his dolls, he couldn't help but watch, his heart in his mouth, as she bent down and picked up one of the dolls.

It was a stitched plush of a Jack Frost, and to Frost's right was Black Frost. The dolls themselves were of professional quality, a showcase to Kanji's talent as a craftsman.

Chie picked up both dolls, and gazed at them with her brown eyes, a deductive expression on her face. Kanji's eyes grew wider, just waiting for her to call him weird, or to give him a strange look. Instead, she just stared blankly, rotating the dolls in her hand, examining the detail.

"Kanji-kun… did you make these dolls?" she asked.

He wasn't going to lie. He gulped, and nodded his head, "Y-Yeah, I… made those dolls," his tone began to get more aggressive, "what, do ya think they're weird or sumthin'?"

She turned her gaze to him, and then, her face broke into a wide, happy grin, "No, not at all! They're really cute! I really like them!" the tomboy said.

Kanji's reaction was instantaneous. "WHAT DA HELL!? They're just dolls! Stop praisin' 'em!" his face flared red, his throat hitched, and he almost fell to the floor, his heart feeling as if it took a huge hit. The monumental shock erupted through his entire body, and he simply glared holes into Chie, his face burning red.

"Why shouldn't I?" asked a quizzical Chie, "I really do think they're cute! It's not like it's creepy or anything!"

Kanji was stunned, not sure what to think of Chie's genuine enthusiasm for his dolls. This wasn't helped when Chie put the Jack Frost in front of his face, stll grinning.

"Can I buy one?" asked Chie, who proceeded to put her hand into her pant pocket, "I can do it right now if you want! How much is it for a doll?"

Kanji put his finger to his lip, his eyes looking down at his red nose, "Er… I'm gonna say… hmm, 500 yen good?"

"500?! Kanji-kun, can't you cut it down just a little?" Chie said, and even jut her lower lip out, giving a sympathetic look. Kanji had to squeeze his eyes shut to not adore the puppy dog look she was currently giving him, and put his arms over his head, blinding himself.

"Damnit! How about… 450?" yelled Kanji, why was it that those girls around him were so cute? Seriously, Yosuke had joked Yu had some serious swag to get the likes of Yukiko and Rise into the team, and for once, Kanji was willing to agree with him.

Usually he would just say no to the girl, but Chie at least knew his weaknesses, and that was sheer cuteness to the max.

To his astonishment however, even he managed to pull his head away from the absolutely adorable sight that was doe-eyed Chie, time to put his foot on the ground, "Sorry, Chie-senpai. Gotta make some money and keep it all afloat, ya know."

Chie sighed, but then, her eyes flickered, "Hey, I know something we can do as well…."

Kanji didn't like the sound of that. He frowned at the girl, making sure to ignore her cute pout, "Uh huh. And what's that?"

He should have known what he was getting into when he saw Chie's entire face split into a wide grin. "We're gonna train at the Samegawa! How 'bout that?"

* * *

><p><strong>Samegawa River, 2:00PM<strong>

"So, you ready?"

Kanji nodded, and looked over at Chie, who was stretching her body out to the left, flexing her hips. He tried to look away, but couldn't help a peek at her stretching her athletic frame, as she rolled her hips to the right. He looked away, trying to keep himself from being too enthralled, and gaining Chie's attention while like that… she was quick to bounce on you if she got the idea you were a pervert.

He shook his head, and decided to try and focus on the opponent in front of him, "Yup." Kanji raised his open palm, and then slammed his fist into it, "Let's fight like real men, Chie-senpai!"

"Alright, ya ready? Watch your feet!" Chie unleashed a kick the second her battle cry left her lips. Kanji raised a muscular arm to block it, and felt the impact against his forearm. She obviously didn't put even half her full force into that blow. He swatted the leg away, and reached forward towards Chie, but she gracefully bounced away, her feet juggling across the ground.

When she got a few feet away, she got back into a battle stance, and rubbed her nose, "Your reflexes are slow, Kanji-kun!"

He scowled slightly, that said scowl then lifted into a smirk, "Ya better not lose focus, Chie-senpai!"

She grinned back, then fired out another kick. Kanji ducked down, dodging the kick, then charged at Chie, but she slid away and bounced back again. She laughed as she threw another kick forward, and when Kanji blocked it, he roared and jumped into the air, sailing forward towards Chie.

But she sidestepped away, and kept smiling at Kanji. "Kanji-kun, you gotta work on your speed! You can't just throw your weight around!"

It was by that point that Kanji realized Chie was leading him onto a wild goose chase, and he growled. This was starting to annoy him… so when the next kick from the spunky dragon came, Kanji quickly grabbed hold of it, grinning as he locked his arm around it. "Alright! Time for some payback!"

Chie yelped and hopped around on one foot, but unfortunately the momentum meant she was unable to keep her balance. She fell backwards, and Kanji was pulled in, tumbling down onto his side, but landing awkwardly on Chie's foot. Chie yelped in pain, and Kanji jumped up in surprise, before he stumbled forward and fell onto the girl's… chest.

It took a few moments for Kanji's head to catch up, when he felt something soft against his pectorals. It was covered by the material of the green tanktop, and they weren't exactly big, but they were round, and squishy. Very squishy. Kanji gulped, and the craftsman in him had to admire the texture… then it dawned on him.

He raised his head up, and saw he was right above Chie. Kanji's jaw dropped, and his face immediately turned to a tomato red. "C-C-Chie-senpai-!"

The warmth of their bodies pressing against each other caused pink to flow across each other's faces. Kanji in particular was going insane mentally: was this how a girl's body felt like? Even though it was sweaty and had a bit of tone, it was still soft and malleable, and those two orbs, squeezing against his manly chest….

Were these what they called, _breasts_? Oh god. He could actually feel breasts. _Chie's_ breasts. Kanji pulled himself off Chie, and tried to say something, anything to make it better, but the words got stuck in his throat.

"A-ahhh! Chie-senpai, it ain't what ya think! It ain't like I…" Kanji's thoughts were whirling around at a million miles per hour, and he knew he wasn't the sharpest knife in the draw. His face completely red at the fresh sensation of Chie's body against his, he stammered, unable to say anything.

Chie stood up, her face bright pink, "Y-Y-You…" she gasped, cheeks blazing red, "r-r-really are… a…."

Kanji's eyes widened at her raising her leg up, she was aiming a kick right at his face! But before he could even try to dodge, she shot her foot forward into his face.

"PERVERT!"

The shoeprint from Chie's sneaker stayed on his face for the reminder of that day.

Kanji sat there, still dazed and incoherent, snapped out of his kick-imposed meditations when he heard Chie shriek out rather horribly. Although it took him some effort, with a stinging face and a body locked by embarrassment from the warmth of feeling the fairer sex, the young man got up, and looked around for her, only to spot brown bobbed hair at the bottom corner of his eye.

He looked down, going wide-eyed at what he was seeing.

Chie was down on the ground, flat on her bottom and clutching her ankle, a pained expression that seemed foreign to her face. Kanji bent down onto his knees, letting down a gulp as he looked at her injured ankle. She definitely wasn't faking this, and it showed, "Chie-senpai, you right?"

She whimpered slightly, and looked up at Kanji, eyebrows lifted in hurt before she narrowed them, "Does it look like I'm alright?" she muttered, before she closed her eyes and gasped out. Her fingers tightened around her ankle, which was rapidly swelling, starting to redden up.

While he refused to admit it, and even though his Persona was no healer, Kanji had actually read some first aid in case he had messed up during sewing, or should any physical wounds need patching up. He grunted, and looked at Chie's foot, "How bad's the pain?" Kanji said, looking back directly at Chie's eyes.

She turned her head away, trying not to look at him, perhaps too proud to admit her injury, "It's only a little strain! I can walk! Don't you worry!" she tried to smile, at least her mouth did, but her eyes spoke a cry of pain. She was hurt, Kanji knew it, but he needed to get her sneaker off before he could see the extent of the damage.

But Kanji stood over her, trying to use his figure to intimidate her… though that was useless, given how brave and spunky the girl was, "Chie-senpai, I think this ain't just a lil' sprain!"

Chie put her good foot down on the ground, and tried to get up again. "Kanji-kun, I'm not hurt, just-" but once she put weight on her bad foot, she collapsed in pain, falling right onto the floor. She then looked at her injured foot with a grave expression, "Damn! Not now… I can't be hurt like this! Not with Master coming to Inaba again!"

At first, Kanji stared at the injured Chie, but he wasn't a man of thoughts, he was a man of action. So he knelt down, and with narrowed eyes, stared at the injured foot. He then grabbed hold of the sneaker, and Chie winced, "I'm gonna hafta take the shoe off, to take pressure off your foot."

The girl raised an eyebrow, unable to hide her frustration, "So what? I have to walk barefoot or something?"

"And there's no way yer walkin'! So…." And then, his face turned bright red at the idea of carrying Chie's soft body back into the town, "I gotta… er… carry you."

"WHAT?!" Chie's loud voice boomed through the riverbank, "Carry me?!" and to his annoyance, the brunette leapt to her feet, and tried to put all her weight on her good foot, hobbling over towards the staircase. She winced in pain throughout the whole thing, and Kanji scowled at her stubbornness and followed her. That made it easier to catch her when she inevitably shouted out in pain and collapsed forward.

Now it was much easier to stem the blush, although the fact that he was outright touching a girl's body, albeit to help her, made him stutter… girls were just so different!

"D-Damnit, Chie-senpai! Just… sit down or somethin', I really gotta have a look at your foot!"

"And I keep tellin' you that I can walk it off!" she stubbornly told him. However, Kanji moved over to the bench, holding Chie, and although she struggled a little, she didn't try to force him off. She probably realized the façade wasn't worth it.

Kanji sat down on the bench, making sure to put Chie down so she could place her feet on his lap. He couldn't help but admire those toned legs, imagining the strength inside them to kill Shadows with one kick… it was enough for a man like him to be envious. Kanji knew he was more of a fisticuffs guy himself, but even then, nothing beat a good old steel chair or table.

Chie reluctantly put her foot up, squealing a little when Kanji grabbed it gently. He laced off the sneaker's shoelaces, and gently popped it off, his careful craftsman hands making sure he didn't move around her injured foot. Then, he took the sock off… and his eyes widened.

Chie's bare foot was swelling quite badly, the ankle glowing a deep red, and looking just a tad shiny, as if the skin was being pulled too tightly over the ligament. "Shit man! And you tried to walk on this thing?!"

Kanji wished he hadn't been looking at Chie's eyes at that point, as the most adorable puppy dog expression washed over her eyes, not helping the deep frown on her face, "It's bad, isn't it?" she asked him, "I was trying to be tough… so I can protect others. If I can't protect myself, then…."

The blonde boy couldn't help but admire Chie's spunkiness and desire to be strong, to protect. Hell, she even inspired him in some ways… that was why he still fought with Take-Mikazuchi, or as he was known after Golden Week, Rokuten Maoh.

"Can you move yer toes?" asked Kanji. Chie wiggled the toes on her swelling foot, curling them and spreading them out. Good, then it wasn't the foot itself. Kanji then placed his hands on the heel, then felt around her ankle… which lead to a loud shout from Chie.

"Argh! Kanji-kun!" she yelled, "That's where it hurts…."

Kanji eased his grip and scowled harder than usual, which of course, didn't come off very well even on his own rough face. Seriously, this day went from good, to bad, "A twisted ankle, damn Chie-senpai. We hafta go get this healed up quick."

"Well… maybe Yukiko could help! She's a healer, isn't she? She could cast a Dia on me, and I'll be better!" Chie grinned, obviously trying to keep spirits up. Just like usual. "But then we'd have to get outta here…."

Of course, the only way he could get Chie out quick enough, was to carry her on his back, and walk to the Amagi Inn. And he knew Chie would never let that down… but neither would he, too. Then again, he couldn't have her treading her bad bare foot on the ground: there could very well be glass, and a cut foot was the last thing she needed. And imagining Chie's soft body against his back… the softness of a woman….

Kanji's entire face flushed with red, and he bit his lower lip. He got off his bottom and looked down at Chie, holding an arm for her to support herself, "D-Damnit C-Chie-senpai. Just… do what ya want! Hmm!"

She grabbed hold of his arm, and tried to put herself onto her good foot. Kanji hooked two fingers on the discarded sneaker and sock, and he helped lift her over, letting her hop on her good foot. It looked… awkward, and really, he knew it was easier for him to carry her.

But carrying a girl was the last thing he'd thought he'd do.

"Ah… hopping to the Amagi Inn, kinda funny, huh? Haha…" Chie sheepishly laughed, her confidence fading from the fourth word on. As Kanji walked to the staircase, Chie looked up to the top of the hill, and frowned.

"I can do this!" she yelled, and she tried to hop up the staircase. But, before her foot even landed on the third step, she tripped over and fell over Kanji, forcing him to cushion her fall. He gently let her down on the floor, making sure only her good foot was on the ground.

"We gotta find another path," said a serious-faced Kanji. Chie looked at him bashfully, stepped to the side….

If Kanji were any less manlier, he would have squealed when he felt a soft sensation on his back. Chie swung her legs forward, and he grabbed them as they swung in the corner of his sights, hooking them… and feeling the toned calves beneath his touch. Very attractive if you asked him… but no, he had more important things to do now.

Didn't help that his face was blazing red now.

But as he began to step forward, to climb the staircase with Chie on his back, someone called out.

"Chie? Is that you?" cried a familiar voice. Chie gasped, and immediately tried to struggle off Kanji.

"Hey, wait!"

"Master!" the girl squealed, ecstatic, yet panicking.

When Kanji turned around towards the bushes, his eyes widened at the figure standing before them. Then his line of sight went to the man's sculpted abdominals, his built arms, and his toned hips visible from his low-cut long pants. His face sparked with confidence and determination, his lips pulled into a tight smirk. While he lacked the Evoker and machete from Golden Week, he still had his cape on….

And he still didn't have a shirt on.

There he was, the pervert with a Greek god's body, one of the Shadow Operatives, Akihiko Sanada.

"You've been injured?" Akihiko asked, then he smirked, "Well, looks like someone hasn't had their adequate protein intake."

"I'm so sorry, Master! I'm still trying to move through the pain!" In a burst of foolishness, Chie tried to press herself off Kanji's back and stand up on her feet, but barely held back an agonized yell as weight went onto her bad foot.

Kanji scooped her onto his back in no time at all, this time able to conceal embarrassment. Akihiko stared stoically at first, then his eyes widened and he gave a flustered stare.

"I have to say, your determination to fight through the pain is incredibly manly…" then he sighed to himself, as if he were remembering better days, "but sometimes, you just have to stay down and rest. Take it from me, Chie. It's not worth aggravating your injury now to keep the fight up… rest for tomorrow."

Kanji felt Chie slump onto his back, her head resting on his broad shoulder. He couldn't even conceal his red face even a little bit. He then heard her whisper gently, although it was directed to Akihiko.

"I get it… I just didn't want to disappoint you…."

The smile that fell on Akihiko's face could have brightened anyone's day. And it certainly brightened up Kanji's, goddamn, he was so hot, from those confident, alluring eyes to those lips, to that delicious, ripped body… and the blonde teen felt his cheeks heat up.

"Heh! Who said you disappointed me? That you're willing to fight through the pain speaks a lot to me, it tells me that I'm proud to be your master! … well, even though I'm still not completely comfortable with it."

Kanji's entire back lit up with warmth, and he looked over to see Chie's face completely red, yet she looked like her entire world was brightened up. The sheer happiness was incredible.

"T-Thank you… Master…."

* * *

><p><strong>The next day, Satonaka household, 10:30AM<strong>

After Kanji and Akihiko had taken Chie back to town, Yukiko had cast a Diaraham on Chie's ankle using Amaterasu. Chie had reluctantly gone to bed to rest off her injury, although Akihiko was telling her to keep her spirit strong and to be a true man, despite Chie having her womanhood.

So the next day, Kanji had gone up to the Satonaka's residence, with a Jack Frost doll in hand to give to her (for free). He had begun the walk on his own, but as he got closer to the house, he saw the familiar half-naked shape of one 'Master' Akihiko leaning against the wall. When he spotted Kanji, he moved to approach him, the older man's gray eyes stared down at Kanji like a fighter would match his foe… but Akihiko had a smile on his face.

"Huh, you really are a man, Kanji. Staying behind to help a friend is what makes true men. Really impressed me to see you help out Chie like that."

The tall boy couldn't help but exchange the same smile on the young man. "Thanks man." It felt good to be praised by a man like Akihiko, and looking into his gray eyes, Kanji could see that manly fire brim inside them, the same fire he saw back in Golden Week. Real men sharing a real stare.

And Akihiko was still hot.

However, those same alluring gray eyes soon found themselves drifting over to Kanji's hand. Kanji felt something catch in his throat when he realized what Akihiko was looking at… damn it, was he going to laugh at him for his dolls? He wouldn't care in the long run, but it would hurt if a man he respected like Akihiko would mock him for his sewing habits.

"Heh, you made that? That's very good!" chortled Akihiko. Kanji veered his head up, and his eyes practically burst out of their sockets in pure shock.

"WHAT DA HELL?! You too?!" yelled Kanji at the top of his lungs, glad there was no one around. It didn't take two looks that Akihiko had a happy grin on his face.

"You're a man of many talents, Kanji Tatsumi. I saw your family's textile shop too… they're all very well made. I'm not one for dolls and cutesy stuff, but I know a few people who'd like your stuff."

And although he'd try to keep his stern face on, Kanji couldn't help but let a wide grin fall on his face. When Chie had praised his dolls yesterday, it was different, because a girl had thought they were cute instead. But, it made him happy, because it only helped make him feel more proud of his creations, although the initial shock deterred it.

And now Akihiko was praising them? He was definitely doing the right thing then.

Kanji snapped out of his meditation when Akihiko turned his finely toned back to him, and began to walk into the Satonaka residence, "Come on, let's go see Chie."

* * *

><p>Soon enough, Akihiko came out the door, and looked over his broad shoulder to Kanji, but not even that could hide the faint pink stemming on Akihiko's cheeks. "She's all yours," he told Kanji.<p>

Kanji nodded, and gripped the Jack Frost doll, before he took a deep breath. While accidents happened, he wasn't exactly happy when Chie got hurt, all because she wanted to train. Hopefully she wasn't bitter about it.

He arrived, and Chie looked up, and grinned. "Kanji-kun!"

"Hey, Chie-senpai. You doing good?" asked the tall boy. However, the look on Chie's face was different. She looked rather bashful, giddy even, and when she aimed her eyes at him, Kanji saw a cheerful gleam in those chestnut eyes… she definitely had something planned.

"Um, Kanji-kun… when I got hurt, and you…" she gulped, probably a little ashamed, "helped me out with my hurt foot, I was really grateful! Really! So, I was just thinking…" she puffed her cheeks, she looked up at the ceiling as if she were thinking of what to say, "Er…."

Kanji swore he saw a tinge of pink on her cheeks as she popped the question, that combined with her puffed out cheeks made it _adorable_. He had to contain his desire to hug her tightly, but luckily that desire would be long gone after she told him what she wanted to do. She looked right back at him and smiled, her face streaked with pink.

"Kanji-kun, let's go camping with Master Akihiko!"

His jaw dropped right there, and his hand almost crushed the Jack Frost doll in his hand.

* * *

><p><strong>That night<strong>

While Kanji was washing the dishes, Mrs. Tatsumi looked up from the orders she was reading, and smiled at her son, though with his back turned to her, he couldn't see it. Kanji's hand gripped onto one of the plates, as he scrubbed it with a sponge to rid it of all the grim and make it sparkling white, using it as a distraction to keep his mind off Chie's proposal.

His face went red every time his mind went back to her question, just what did she think she was doing, asking someone like _him_ to go out camping with her? A _boy_ who couldn't talk to a girl without making a total stammering idiot out of himself? And seriously, what the hell was that about, inviting that perverted psycho Sanada?

Mrs. Tatsumi was no mind reader, but from his body language, she could tell something was troubling her son. She smiled warmly at him, and spoke up.

"Kanji-chan, is there something bothering you? Be honest with me, please."

Kanji bit his lip, hard.

"C-Chie-senpai invited me out… to the woods ta go campin'."

Silence echoed through the gently lit room, the sound of crickets chirping and the squeaking of cleaning dishes the only things to break through. Then, Mrs. Tatsumi spoke again.

"Kanji-chan… I think, you should go camping with Satonaka-chan and Sanada-kun."

Kanji spat out his drink, luckily he was doing the dishes, so he just spat it out into the sink. He then turned over with a flustered, angry expression on his face, "W-WHAT?!"

Mrs. Tatsumi nodded with an honest smile on her face, "Of course. It'll be as she said: fresh air, plenty of exercise, and I'm sure you'll both able to take care of each other. You did such a wonderful thing yesterday, helping poor Satonaka-chan when she hurt her foot."

His nostrils flared from remembering her soft body against his back, and his eyebrows rose, leaving his eyes wide open, "Wha-wha," he spluttered, trying to form words from his mouth, failing as his face went red, "we, we ain't like that, ya old hag! Shut up!"

"And what have I said about that language, young man!?"

"Me an' Chie-senpai ain't datin'! Just like that!" he proclaimed, then stopped. Speaking of dates, there was Naoto, who still hadn't returned any of his calls. Kanji never really told this to anyone (like hell he was going to get mocked by Hanamura for the next year again), but he was hoping, what with that P-1 Grand Prix they had just been involved in, that she would contact him again and at least talk to him.

However, she had been in business with that Kirijo woman, and his little country brain knew not to mess with someone like Kirijo… or that damn robot too.

Mrs. Tatsumi simply smiled, and walked away, "I see. Well, I hope you get a good night's sleep, you'd want to rise early for your trip with Satonaka-chan and Sanada-kun!"

After his mother left, he sighed to himself. Kanji resumed scrubbing the dishes, and also began to dry them, to keep his mind off things. As he put the plates back into the cupboard, Kanji looked outside the window, looking as the sun set over the town of Inaba. He sighed.

"I'm fucked."

* * *

><p><strong>How bad does Kanji have it? Does Chie now like manly men and not utter losers? Will Kanji's love for Naoto be any force in the plot? Tune in next time on Reunion Week!<strong>

**Also reviews and crits are greatly appreciated, yadda yadda.**


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